We’ve previously covered the economics of the lottery. It appears that in times of high unemployment, people begin to play the lottery more. 28 of the 41 states that recently reported lottery sales reported an increase in their sales this past year over the year before. 17 of those states set records for their sales. During this time of high unemployment, many are looking for work that will provide them with a steady paycheck, but until they’re able to find such a job, it seems that the hope of winning the lottery is just too much to pass up.

Source: Economix Blog