It's not necessarily a poor financial decision. The value of a lottery ticket is different for everyone. I very rarely buy them, but when I do it's a kind of entertainment. I'm buying a whole few days where I know I could be a multi millionaire. Obviously I'm aware it's virtually impossible to win, but It's not just about the money. It's much more about the hope and excitement it brings into my life, and a few whole days of that is easily worth $20.