Ooooooh don't get me started on this subject!! I've had several arguments over the years with brothers at the Hall about this very subject. Naturally they really defensive when I ask "why is it okay for Brother A(sshole) to invest $100,000 in Enron stock, and lose it ALL and it's simply considered a "business loss", but I'm not supposed to go to the corner store and spend $1.00 on a lottery ticket because that shows what a greedy, materialistic person I really am?
Naturally, they get REAL defensive about this and tell me that the two are not the same thing. I say they are. The reason people invest in the stock market, is because they're hoping that their stock is going to go up up and away. You buy a thousand shares at $1.00 per share and of course, you want to see that stock reach $500 share. If it does, you win big time, if it doesn't, you lose all that you invested. It's taking a GAMBLE!! So, I go to the store and purchase 5 lottery tickets at $1.00 each, hoping that all my numbers will come up. If they do, I win big time, if they don't I lose the $5.00 I invested. It's taking a GAMBLE!!
To me, there's absolutely no difference between gambling in the stock market and buying a lottery ticket, because we do it for the same reasons. The Borg's ridiculous and absurd reasons for telling everyone that it's okay to do one, but not the other is similar to them telling everyone they can celebrate wedding anniversaries, but not birthdays.