Is it Permissible to Play the Lottery?

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
It is permissible to fill out a lottery ticket both for Ashkenazim and for Sephardim.
 
Sources: Regarding the permissibility for Ashkenazim - see Rema, Choshen Mishpat (Siman 376, Section 3) that if one has another profession, even playing dice with a Jew does not disqualify him for testimony. He is only disqualified for testimony if playing dice is his profession and he has no other profession.
 
As for the permissibility for Sephardim - although Rav Ovadia Yosef, zt"l, in his responsa Yabia Omer, Part 7 (Choshen Mishpat, Siman 6) prohibited Sephardim from filling out the lottery. This is also mentioned in his book Yabia Omer, Part 10 (Page 340). Nevertheless, in the publication V'ya'in Shmuel, Part 15 (Siman 44), there are clear testimonies from three Torah scholars, Rabbi Amir Krispel, shlit"a (who was the personal secretary of Rav Ovadia Yosef), Rabbi Shlomo Omer, shlit"a (who assisted Rav Ovadia in writing his works), and Rabbi Ezra Bar Shalom, shlit"a (the son-in-law of Rav Ovadia Yosef) that Rav Ovadia Yosef, zt"l, retracted and permitted Sephardim to fill out the lottery.
 
Also see in the responsa Yaskil Avdi, Part 8 (Yoreh De'ah, Siman 5, Page 280), in the responsa Teshuvot V'hanhagot, Part 4 (Siman 321), in the responsa Even Pnina, Part 1 (Siman 181), in the responsa Tefillah L'Moshe, Part 5 (Siman 258), in the responsa Divrot Yaakov, Part 3 (Siman 39), and in the responsa Asher Chanan, Part 8 (Siman 218) and regarding Rabbi Yosef Peretz, shlit"a, in the publication V'ya'in Shmuel, the aforementioned, who raised the issue of permitting Sephardim to fill out the lottery. And also see in the responsa Nitzar Kohen, Part 1 (Choshen Mishpat, Siman 3) that according to his opinion, a Sephardi who is lenient in participating in the lottery has grounds on which to rely.

Wishing you much success,

Hillel Meirs