ABSTRACT
The proverb "It’s Better to Be Born Lucky Than Rich" claims that it is better to begin life as a lucky person than a person of wealth. Vogel remarks that "It has been said that 'Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of the earth's citizens needs to understand gambling.'" This chapter, therefore, explores the practice of gambling, how people define it and whether they see it as connected to luck. According to Emma Casey, the Mass Observation Archive is ideally placed to offer novel insights into gambling especially as it offers a shift of emphasis from problem to ordinary and everyday gambling routines. The chapter first considers how 'gambling' is defined by respondents, and then provides their accounts of the UK National Lottery before exploring criticisms made of both gambling in general and the lottery in particular. Finally, what respondents say about their dreams of winning money and their plans for such money is documented.
