That people spent so much on lottery tickets on its own is no confirmation the economy is or isn’t in a recession. But the number of people grasping at a dollar a dream is an economic indicator of sorts, said David R. Just, an economics professor at Cornell University. Declines in GDP and incomes, and increases in unemployment, correlate with an increase in lottery-ticket sales, several studies have found.  “It’s a little bit of desperation,” Dr. Just said.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-the-1-3-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-reveals-about-the-economy-11659479328?mod=markets_major_pos4