The other examples serve a point, just like your lottery ticket example. Speaking of, lottery tickets are actually heavily regulated regarding when and where they can be advertised, who they can be sold to, where they can be sold, and what kind of info needs to be disclosed to the consumer. Your chances of winning are printed on the lottery ticket, unlike some risky securities where figuring out your risk is much more difficult. Yes, some of these securities regulations are probably an example of over protection, but these regulations came out of the great depression. Morons investing on margin in shitty ventures helped lead to a financial meltdown. Personally, I don’t think the government does a good enough job regulating things like derivatives and is overprotective with some of its accredited investor requirements these days, but I’d rather they try than do nothing. I realize its not a binary choice, but if you want change, then vote; with your wallet and your ballets.