If you really think about it, there are actually a remarkable number of life’s situations that can be inherently risky. Nearly everything someone does is some type of gambling. Even with such mundane act of getting up and going to work, increases one’s prospects of being killed in a transportation accident. In face of today and everything you know about investing, whether it is in business, an asset class (stocks, bonds, real estate, cash and commodities), or index fund, even in its most basic element, it really is nothing more than “betting” that someday tomorrow is going to be better with pleasant expected returns on investment; or maybe not. There is just one big risk you should avoid and that’s the risk of doing nothing and not taking your chance.

Come to look at it in face value, investing in almost any money market really is, legalized gambling, per se. You can look at investing in terms of chart formation, or you put your money within the utilities anticipating when they are “due”, you cash in or again maybe not; or you choose to have any one of the hundreds of analysts culling spreadsheets or fund index investors work on the fundamentals of investing for you in manufacturing, real estate, cash and commodities-no matter what your reasoning for that, if that’s not gambling, then what is? Basically, you are betting that in 5, 10 or 15 years from now there will be more individuals, buying more stuff, utilizing more energy, determined by more gadgets-with hope you can cash in; or possibly not. You are basically “betting” on all of it.

So it really is, with the lottery-a form of gambling with origins in Florence, Italy, where the first lottery was held in the 16th Century, then called the Lotto de Firenze, and quickly adopted by other Italian towns. It became a national lottery, and still known today as the Lotto in Italy, as also adopted and called in lots of other countries, including the USA. The lottery, as a form of government-licensed gambling, involves drawing of lots for an assortment of winnings and for the massive jackpot prize. Gambling, like poker, blackjack, roulette, sports betting and racing, can involve skill or just chance alone; although the lottery will not require any special skills-set to play.

As with any risk, there’s always something at stake. Even when you opt to take the risk of starting a business, you stand to lose money, time and also your reputation. The exact same things you stand to gain when you take the chance to start your own business. The lots you buy to play the lottery are today within the form of tickets and the prize is often a large sum of cash. The draws are random and every player has an equal chance of winning the main prize which often grows really big with massive roll over jackpots.