[chii]

you're not charged for nothing - you're charged for a chance to get something. If the lottery was free, what prevents you from signing up multiple times?

The fact is, demand for these spots are too high. I'd rather see an auction, but that'd be too unfair for people who aren't rich enough - public goods are still public and should be available.

[dataflow]

Is the lottery fee really what's preventing people from signing up multiple times? Aren't there so many other services in this world that manage that pretty well without a lottery fee?

[JustBreath]

An auction does sound better, at least then you either get it and spend the money or you don't.