How much is too much to spend on lottery tickets (per week)?

[HoreTore]

I recently saw an elderly lady spend (what I thought to be) a rather large amount of money on lottery tickets. First, what do you think is too much to spend on lottery tix? Secondly - and more importantly -, what do you think when some of these same people go on to complain about the cost of prescriptions, gas, and the instability of social security (something which many of the elderly lottery spenders are probably reliant upon).

Give old people a rest. They're not playing because they think they can win, they're playing because it's one of the few joys they have left in life.

The lottery is a convenient tax on the stupid. The money can then be given to more worthy causes. The winners have a habit of splashing large amounts of it, thus again spreading the money around the economy.

The amount spent is better expressed as a percentage of disposable income.

Actually, any lottery profits in this country goes straight to charity