Lottery is the most popular form of gambling in America, and states promote it as a way to raise revenue. But critics say state lotteries are not only a major source of income for governments; they also encourage addictive gambling behavior, serve as a major regressive tax on low-income groups, and have other negative effects.
The debate over state lotteries is a classic case of how public policy is made. State lotteries start out as piecemeal initiatives that are implemented by fragmented groups of government officials, with little overall guidance or oversight from the executive or legislative branch. Over time, the evolution of the lottery system itself is likely to outpace any initial policies that may have been put in place.
When lotteries first emerged, the idea was that they would be a painless form of taxation: voters could voluntarily spend money on games to help fund things like schools, roads, and health care. It was a vision that was inspired by the widespread popularity of illegal gambling and the belief that lotteries could fill gaps in state budgets.
But now, people play the lottery for much different reasons than they used to. Some buy tickets for the fun of it, and others have developed quote-unquote systems — not based on statistical reasoning — about what kinds of stores to shop at, what times of day, and what types of tickets to buy. And they continue to play, often spending thousands of dollars a year.
