Lottery is a game in which players pay for tickets, select a group of numbers, or have machines randomly spit out numbers, and then win prizes if those numbers match the winning ones. Lotteries have a long record in human history, including the casting of lots in the Bible and ancient Roman emperors giving away goods and slaves. They were used extensively in colonial-era America to finance everything from paving streets and building wharves to supplying a battery of guns for the defense of Philadelphia and rebuilding Faneuil Hall in Boston.
The vast majority of lottery tickets are sold for small sums – just one ticket, or perhaps just a few over the course of a year. But the prizes are large enough to make a difference in the lives of many people, and they create the illusion that anyone could get rich, just by playing a little bit. The result is a regressive, escapist industry that gives its users the false sense that luck plays a big role in the ultimate success of their life.
State lotteries are a classic example of public policy making that takes place piecemeal and incrementally, with very little overall oversight. A state legislates a monopoly for itself; sets up a state agency or public corporation to run it (as opposed to licensing a private promoter in exchange for a portion of profits); begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and then, under pressure from constant demand for additional revenues, progressively expands the size and complexity of its offerings.
