Final answer:
Someone might choose a lottery machine that hasn't won in a long time because of the gambler's fallacy, which is the false belief that a certain outcome is due to occur if it hasn't happened recently, ignoring that each draw is an independent event.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason someone might pick a lottery machine that hasn't "won" in a long time is due to a cognitive bias known as the gambler's fallacy. This fallacy is the mistaken belief that if an event hasn't occurred recently, it is due or more likely to happen soon. This is a misconception because each lottery draw is an independent event, meaning the odds do not change regardless of previous outcomes. Unlike the sunk cost fallacy, which involves continuing to invest in a failing prospect due to the investment already made, the gambler's fallacy is tied to the past by mistakenly believing it will influence the chance events of the present and future.