If you really think about it, there are a remarkable number of life’s situations that are inherently risky. Nearly everything a person does is some type of gambling. Even with such mundane act of getting up and going to work, increases one’s chances of being killed in a transportation accident. In face of today and everything you know about investing, be it in business, an asset class (stocks, bonds, real-estate, cash and commodities), or index fund, even in its most basic element, it’s nothing but “betting” that someday tomorrow will probably be better with pleasant expected returns on investment; or even not. There is only one big risk you should avoid and that is 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 may look at investing with regard to chart formation, or you put your hard earned money within the utilities anticipating when they are “due”, you cash in or again maybe not; or you choose to possess 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 is not gambling, then what is? Basically, you are betting that in 5, 10 or 15 years from now there will be lots of individuals, buying more stuff, utilizing more energy, dependent on more gadgets-with hope which you can cash in; or maybe not. You are basically “betting” on all of it.

So it is, with the lottery-a type of gambling with origins in Florence, Italy, where the very first lottery agent (talking to) was held within the 16th Century, then called the Lotto de Firenze, and quickly adopted by other Italian cities. It became a national lottery, and still known today as the Lotto in Italy, as also adopted and called in many 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 simply chance alone; however the lottery will not require any special skills-set to play.

As with any risk, often there is 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 possibility to start your own business. The lots you buy to play the lottery are today within the form of tickets as well as the prize is usually 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.