宝くじは毒キノコ！？娘の一言に学ぶ「お金の教育」と夢の現実

Winning the lottery seems like a dream come true. Have you ever bought one?

In this article, we will explain how the lottery works, the payout rate,
And we will consider the numbers to see if the lottery is really a "lottery"✨️
Also, one comment made by my eldest daughter, who is in the third grade of elementary school, was quite excellent.

Table of Contents

🎯 Today's homework theme: "The lottery is a tax on fools"
💰 Let's look at the lottery's "mechanism" in numbers
1. 📚 Sources and Evidence
2. 💡 Additional notes
🎲 What are the odds of winning first prize?
👧 A word from my eldest daughter, a third-grader
💭 The "power of dreams" seen in lottery search terms“
🌱 The beginnings of learning
💰 Take a look behind the scenes of the lottery!
💡 Summary points
✍️ Today's realization
📚 Reference Links
📚Liberity's recommended books

🎯 Today's homework theme: "The lottery is a tax on fools"

Today's theme is "Lottery".
I reviewed the video by both presidents, which is publicly available on YouTube.

The title may seem a bit shocking, but
When you look at the numbers, you can see that the lottery is not about buying a dream, but rather a system that almost certainly results in a loss.

💰 Let's look at the lottery's "mechanism" in numbers

Japanese lottery (Jumbo, etc.)The return rate (= the percentage of winnings returned) is approximately 45%.

In other words──
If you buy a 10,000 yen lottery ticket,
Approximately 4,500 yen will go to the prize money, and the remaining 5,500 yen will go to the organizers.It will be.

Here's the breakdown:

Allocation Items	ratio	Content
💸 Winnings (Payout)	Approximately 45%	The portion that goes to the purchaser
🏙 Local government revenue	Approximately 40%	Used for welfare, disaster prevention, education, culture, etc.
🏢 Sales and PR expenses	Approximately 15%	Sales floor management, advertising, printing costs, etc.

📚 Sources and Evidence

🔗 Opinions of tax accountants and other experts
A column by an accounting expert also explains that "the lottery payout rate is roughly around 45% / 40-50%."
→ 🔗 Kawamura Accounting Office | Tax Accountant Office Column in Osaka and Sakai

📜 Legal limit
The total amount or value of prizes must not exceed 50% of the total sales amount.
→ Prize Ticket Law Article 5 (e-Gov)
*The law limits the payout rate to less than 50%, so the lottery system is designed so that no more than half of the winnings are returned.

📊 Actual average return rate
According to publicly available documents and various analytical articles, the actual average payout rate for Japanese lotteries is around **45.7%**.
→ 📜 Gentosha Online | The Basis and Reality of the "Lottery Return Rate of 45.7%"

💡 Additional notes

In other words,

Even if you buy for 10,000 yen, the average return you can expect is around 4,500 yen.

The remaining approximately 5,500 yen is spent on public works, operating expenses, advertising expenses, etc.

This is the "The lottery is a tax on stupidityThis is also the "numerical basis" for the phrase "

🎲 What are the odds of winning first prize?

The probability of winning the first prize (300 million yen) in the Jumbo Lottery is approximately1 in 10 million.
This is lower than the probability of being struck by lightning (approximately 1 in 1,000,000).

...So, if it really does happen, it'll look something like this.

アニメ鬼滅の刃の我妻善逸が雷に打たれているところ — Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

アニメ鬼滅の刃の我妻善逸が雷に打たれて木から落ちている様子 — Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

In other words, theoretically, it is normal that you will not win even if you keep buying tickets for your entire life.
The reason people still line up is because of the psychological effect of "dreams."

👧 A word from my eldest daughter, a third-grader

I was talking about this with my family.

I found a lottery ticket booth in a corner of a nearby supermarket and quized my daughter.

"Here's a question! There's a poisonous mushroom nearby. What is it?"

My daughter immediately replied, "It's a lottery ticket." To my surprise, she added:

"So, that old man buying lottery tickets doesn't know that lottery tickets are poisonous mushrooms.

I want to teach you."

That comment made me laugh unconsciously.
でも同時に、今回の学びが、It is firmly rooted in my daughter.It was also a moment when I felt that way.

💭 The "power of dreams" seen in lottery search terms“

In fact, if you type "lottery" into Google,
Words such as "How to win the lottery," "Tips for winning the lottery," and "Observations of winning the lottery" appear one after another.

こんな感じ👇

Google検索で「宝くじ」と入力したときに表示される検索候補。「宝くじ当てる方法」「宝くじ当たるコツ」など、多くの人が“宝くじを当てる方法”を探していることがわかる。

📸 Image: Screenshot of Google search suggestions

It turns out that many people are looking for ways to win.
This just goes to show how strong their desire is to pin their hopes on dreams.

However, if you look at the numbers, it's more like an illusion than a dream.
I felt like my child's words instantly broke through that reality.

🌱 The beginnings of learning

“The metaphor of "poisonous mushrooms" is excellent.
It may look attractive, but it's dangerous inside.

This feeling isn't just about money,
This will become a "seed of judgment" that can also be applied to information on advertising, trends, and social media.

Children will be able to think in terms of numbers and systems.
それは将来、「騙されない・流されない生き方」を選ぶ、守る力の大切な土台です。

💰 Take a look behind the scenes of the lottery!

Many people are surprised and ask, "Wow, that's how it works!?" Let's take a closer look at the "behind the scenes" of the lottery.

🏙 Who runs the lottery?

宝くじの運営を担うみずほ銀行のビル。宝くじの裏側に関わる実際の機関を表している。 — source:Toyo Keizai

The lotteryIt is not a private business, but a "public lottery" issued by local governments (prefectures and designated cities).
However, the local government itself does not conduct the lottery or sales.
Mizuho Bank handles the affairsis being commissioned to carry out this work.

🏦 Why Mizuho Bank?

Currently, lottery tickets are sold atOnly Mizuho Bankis.

The reason for this dates back to the post-war period.

The first lottery was held in 1945 (Showa 20) to raise funds for post-war reconstruction.
The bank that handled this was Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank (now Mizuho Bank).
For the past 80 years, Mizuho Bank hasSales, lottery, winnings payment, fund managementI have been solely responsible for this.

In other words, the lottery and Mizuho BankIt has been running as a set since the end of the war.That's why.

📜 Sources and evidence

Mizuho Bank "Lottery System"

Lottery Ticket Law (e-Gov)

National Local Government Lottery Administrative Council Regulations (e.g., Niigata Prefecture)

⚙️ Is it possible to use other banks under the system?

Under the system, local governments are permitted to "entrust lottery operations to financial institutions."
(Article 158-2 of the Enforcement Order of the Local Autonomy Act).

In other words, in theory, other banks (e.g., Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui) could also raise their hands.
But in reality...

System construction costs are enormous
Mizuho Bank has accumulated over 70 years of expertise
Contracts and networks with government agencies are spread across the country

For reasons such as:There is almost no practical benefit for other banks to enter the marketis.
As a result, Mizuho Bank has effectively become a "monopoly."

💸 Where does the money from sales go?

Allocation Items	ratio	Content
Winnings (refund)	Approximately 45%	The portion that goes to the purchaser
Local government revenue	Approximately 40%	Used for welfare, disaster prevention, education, culture, etc.
Sales and public relations expenses	Approximately 15%	Sales floor management, advertising, printing costs, etc.

In other words, even if you buy 10,000 yenThe actual return is around 4,500 yen.
From the beginning5,500 yen is the management's shareIt will be.

💡 Summary points

Lotteries are public lotteries issued by local governments.
Mizuho Bank will handle all administrative work
The return rate of the winnings is approximately 45%, with the remainder going to public works and expenses.
My daughter's comment about poisonous mushrooms was a great lesson in connecting numbers and emotions!

✍️ Today's realization

This time's "Lottery" homework was a review for me,
Through conversations with family members,Learning is rooted in daily lifeI realized this.

Learning about money is not just about memorizing knowledge,
こうして「行動や言葉に変化が現れることこそがお金の教育」なのだと思います。

This time's homework seems like a review,
My daughter's words gave me a big realization.

The ability to think in numbers and not make decisions based on emotions.
Nurturing these two things from a young age is
I feel that this will lead to the ability to be financially strong and live kindly.

日々の暮らしの中で小さな学びの積み重ねを大切にしながら、
ご自身の「守る力」を一緒に育てていきましょう〜✨

📚 Reference Links

🧭 Libercity Official Website | Homework List for Creating Financial Freedom

🎥 No. 57 The Lottery is a Tax on Fools (YouTube)

📚Liberity's recommended books

💡We'd like to introduce two books that are perfect for learning about money, and are often featured on Libercity.

"Money University": Learn the basics of money in one book. My eldest daughter now understands the meaning of "poisonous mushrooms" 😊
"Money Adventure": A picture book to learn about money that you can enjoy with your children! My second daughter, who is in the first grade of elementary school, is also reading it.

*This article contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links will help support the blog.

📕Money University (Rakuten Books)