Not long after Chi-na's two stock exchanges opened in Shanghai and Shenzhen in the early part of the decade, would-be investors queued for hours just for the chance to buyalotteryticket that would give a few lucky winners the opportunity to buy stock -- though no choice as to which company or at what price.
But that leads you to the basic economic fact of all lotteryticket purchases: What people buy when they play the lottery is not really a chance at winning millions at all.