Dreaming in the longer run is good, and goals can provide meaning and structure in what is essentially a meaningless and chaotic world. Living in the moment is also good, playing is good.
Can't you pretend you will win without buying the tickets?
I think the bigger difference is probably the prop and the immediacy of the experience.
For example I have a long term dream of being self-sufficient paraglider, Icarus dream and all that. I live in a country where its hard to have full course (2 weeks minimum) unless you speak fluent french, which I don't yet. I have 2 tiny little small kids. I have had some recent injuries which delay/block similar efforts. But I didn't give up, waited patiently till suddenly I had a window for the course. Did it, and now looking for spring to continue the momentum, whenever family situation allows it.
Some other activities would be much easier (and cheaper) to get into. But somehow I knew and felt that this will be very rewarding for me, combining hiking up and flying down the mountains.
I don't call them dreams - those are rather impossible situations like me free floating on ISS looking a dark space around Earth, stars, moon and milky way. Or winning lottery. Goals is much better term for me, there are clear actionable steps to get there. Compared to this dream, paragliding is peanuts to achieve.
It takes 0.1 units of time and energy to buy a lottery ticket, you just add one to your things at checkout. Sure, you could put that $1 per week towards your investment portfolio but hey, maybe?
It becomes an issue when people are addicted to it or are harboring false hopes and spend considerable money on lotteries, but as OP was describing, it doesn't seem to be a problem.
so I just like to think “l.o.l, privilege” when I buy
one of the $595 hourly rates from cpa and legal beats my lottery ticket purchases any year, shrug
I’ve traded options with a greater negative expected value than powerball