WIY,
The evidence that you brought (while correct in and of itself) does not support the premise you put forth.
The reason that most people squander their winnings is largely because most people are poor money managers to begin with. Giving a person with poor money management skills lots of money doesn’t magically transform him into a great money manager — it just gives him lots of more opportunities to make mistakes.
But whether or not buying a ticket counts as hishtadlus or entertainment (and I can the case being made either way) really has nothing to do with whether or not people squander the winnings away after they get it.
The Wolf