EDITORIAL: Despite better odds, lottery not a good bet for your hard-earned cash

Good news if you like to play the lottery: Your odds of winning are about to improve.

Bad news if you like to play the lottery: It's going to cost you more and your odds of winning are still really, really, really lousy.

Starting Tuesday, tickets for the multistate Mega Millions increased to $5 from $2. This will improve your chance of winning the jackpot to a much better one in 290 million from the longshot that is one in 303 million. That's quite a difference. A real incentive. Start counting your money.

Perhaps ironically, organizers are gambling that creating bigger jackpots will entice more people to buy more tickets. It's a good bet. A winning bet — for them. It boosts a steady flow of income by bringing more people into the fold and gets those already on the payroll to contribute even more. 

But it's a losing bet for those who spend money on lottery tickets.

OK, we all know we're not going to win when we buy tickets. We do it anyway because there is that tiny, microscopic opportunity that we might. It could happen. And wouldn't life be better with a few million dollars? Just let us dream about vacations and new cars and big houses and don't lecture us about the lottery.

Plus, there is always the argument lottery players are providing funds for education. Isn't that good? The kids need our help, right? And what about defying the odds? Isn't that a worthy goal, even heroic? Rocky did it, and he's a national hero.

Dreams of sunshine and beaches in Hawaii, a desire to assist children in classrooms and hopes of being that very rare, one-in-300-million lottery jackpot winner are wonderful and admirable. 

Let's be clear. We can say with confidence you will not win. You already know this.

Now, some will argue it's their money to do with as they wish. The problem is, lotteries are primarily played by those who can't afford to gamble. You won't find too many wealthy people buying lottery tickets. Lotteries are called a tax on the poor for good reason. Yet, many of us want in because lotteries are billed as good. Many of us are happy to hand over cash, convinced lottery tickets are for a noble cause. 

Here's the deal. We're not going to lecture you how to spend your money. We're not going to say don't buy lottery tickets. If that's how you want to spend your money, go ahead. But there's something wrong when funds for education come from gambling. Make no mistake. A lottery is gambling and few will argue gambling is good.

But we would like to offer a few alternatives:

If you want to contribute to education, donate.

If you want more money, save it.

If you want to gamble, try the casinos. The odds are better.