Winning $25,000 or more in a state lottery reduces single women’s likelihood of marrying within the next three years by 40%, say Mark Hoekstra of the University of Pittsburgh and Scott Hankins of the University of Kentucky. A big windfall may reduce marriage’s risk-sharing benefits for women, or it may make single life attractive in other ways, the researchers suggest. There’s no such effect on men’s marriage rates, nor does winning the lottery prompt women (or men) to divorce at higher rates.
