Lottery is a staple of American culture. People spent upward of $100 billion on tickets last year, making it the country’s most popular form of gambling. State governments promote the games by arguing that they help raise money for schools and other worthy programs, and people are urged to feel like they are doing their civic duty to support state budgets by purchasing tickets. But a new study suggests that the benefits of these lottery games may be less than advertised, especially for lower-income citizens.

The study by Leaf Van Boven, a University of Colorado Boulder psychology professor, examines why so many people continue to play the lottery despite how unlikely they are to win. Van Boven’s research focuses on decision making and counterfactual thoughts, which are mental simulations of what could have happened had you made a different choice. He finds that people will often overweight low probabilities, so a 1% chance of winning is seen as much larger than it really is.

When combined with a “meritocratic” belief that anyone can become rich through hard work, this leads to a sense of entitlement, which can fuel the gambler’s compulsion to buy more tickets. As a result, lower-income individuals tend to purchase more lottery tickets relative to their disposable incomes. These individuals are also more likely to have co-occurring conditions such as depression and anxiety, which can increase their impulsivity. Medications to treat these conditions can help reduce their urge to purchase lottery tickets.