Waking from a seductive dream

I used to love the idea of a lottery in Wyoming, I really did.

I’ve played, I’ve lost and the initial excitement of checking my numbers after a drawing has faded since the Wyoming lottery’s inception.

Often, lotteries have been called taxes on the poor, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Promising big payouts even at the start, lotteries like Mega Millions and Powerball give their players a tantalizing glimpse into the world of “what if I win.” It’s a lifeline out of the blue-collar drudgery that many people are often locked into. Freedom from bills and freedom to do whatever beca...