A lottery is a gambling game in which numbers are drawn at random and prizes are awarded to the holders of tickets. It is also the name of a method for distributing money, as in the case of state lotteries. The casting of lots to determine fates and property rights has a long record in human history. The earliest recorded public lotteries with prizes in the form of money were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century for municipal projects and to help the poor.
State lotteries have become a common feature of the modern American landscape. Their adoption and operation largely follow the same pattern: a state legislates a monopoly for itself; establishes a public corporation to run the lottery (as opposed to licensing a private firm in return for a share of profits); begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, due to constant pressure for additional revenues, progressively expands the lottery by adding new games.
The chief argument used to promote the establishment of state lotteries has been that they represent a source of “painless” revenue – gamblers voluntarily spend their money (as opposed to taxing themselves) for the benefit of a specific public good, such as education. This argument has been successful in winning and maintaining broad popular support for the state lottery. It is, however, a dangerous illusion.
State lotteries have evolved in ways that obscure their regressive and exploitative nature. They rely on two messages, primarily, to sustain their popularity. The first is that people simply like to gamble; the experience of scratching a ticket is fun, and there is a certain inextricable pleasure in making those lucky combinations that lead to prize payouts. The other message is that state lotteries are good because they raise money for the states, which makes them appear as benign public-service providers.
