The "what if" game can be played even if you don't buy the ticket.

What's more, there's another "what if" game that you're neglecting... that's the "what if I invest this money in something actually achievable here and now?"

This is the game that investors and entrepreneurs play, and if you actually put money into the end-result of that game you have a higher expected payoff than that with the "lottery ticket what if" game