Remember that old game show, Let’s Make a Deal? Contestants were given the choice between a prize they could see—such as $1,000 right here, right now—and a prize they couldn’t. Let’s see what’s behind door number two! While we watched at home, yelling at the contestant for being so stupid as to give up the certain prize for the cheap toaster that inevitably waited behind the closed door, we still knew deep down that we’d have taken the chance on the possibility of a bigger prize.
It’s the same anticipation that drives us to play the lottery
—to give up our hard-earned dollars for the chance at something bigger. Whether we pick our numbers and sit back to wait or buy a scratch card for immediate results, the outcome is the same…
