Americans have been playing lotteries for centuries. Some of the earliest ones in the American colonies actually helped to fund the Revolutionary War. There is a lot of scratching and quick-picking going on in the financial markets of late, but very few prizes in the form of returns have been realized in 2022. After years of boom, this year is a big bust for almost every investor seeking returns. Given all the gloomy forecasts for global recession starting as soon as this year, it is hard to be positive on any market sector, although income-seeking investors holding higher yielding bonds are still happily clipping coupons.