You can track economic downturns by lottery sales in states that have had lotteries for many years. The simple fact is that when the economy goes South, lottery ticket sales surge. The other predictable behavior is that "sin stocks" do well: Tobacco and alcohol stocks. People may be unemployed and broke, but they'll always figure out a way to find ten bucks for beer, cigarettes, and that precious lottery ticket. I guess I understand. When all you have going for you is a dream, you try to keep the dreams coming....because if you stop dreaming, you may as well climb into the coffin and pull the dirt up over you.