Answer: No. IRS rules for gambling losses apply to lottery tickets. The cost of those tickets can be taken as an itemized deduction to offset any kind of gambling winnings -- lotteries, horse racing, cards, et cetera. But if there are no winnings, there's no deduction.
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https://lottery-life.blogspot.com/2020/02/how-can-i-play-lotto-in-zimbabwe.html
