Utilize your financial knowledge, give your answer or opinion to the input question or subject . Answer format is not limited.

Are lottery tickets ever a wise investment provided the jackpot is large enough?
I estimated that the mean expected cash value of a $ 1.00 MegaMillions ticket in the July 5, 2016 drawing was about $ 1.23 = $ 0.18 consolation prizes + 258,890,850:1 chance of winning part of a cash jackpot that increased from about $ 289.6 million to about $ 313.3 million. I estimated that the mean expected cash value of a $ 2.00 Powerball ticket in the January 13, 2016 drawing was about $ 1.65.  I estimated this as follows: 17.= (9).          Chance of another roll-over:       15.4 %    .    (about two-thirteenths).   This estimate does not take taxes into account.  (There are ways to minimize the tax bill.)  And of course, almost 96% of tickets win nothing. Notes: . . Updated for July 5, 2016 MegaMillions draw.