The joy of lottery play: evidence from a field experiment

Martijn Burger, Martijn Hendriks (), Emma Pleeging () and Jan C. Ours ()
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Martijn Hendriks: Erasmus University Rotterdam
Emma Pleeging: Erasmus University Rotterdam
Jan C. Ours: Erasmus University Rotterdam

Experimental Economics, 2020, vol. 23, issue 4, No 12, 1235-1256

Abstract: Abstract Buying lottery tickets is not a rational investment from a financial point of view. Yet, the majority of people participate at least once a year in a lottery. We conducted a field experiment to increase understanding of lottery participation. Using representative data for the Netherlands, we find that lottery participation increased the happiness of participants before the draw. Winning a small prize had no effect on happiness. Our results indicate that people may not only care about the outcomes of the lottery, but also enjoy the game. Accordingly, we conclude that lottery participation has a utility value in itself and part of the utility of a lottery ticket is consumed before the draw.

Keywords: Lottery play; Happiness; Field experiment; Procedural utility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D12 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10683-020-09649-9

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