Lottery is a form of gambling in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes awarded to those whose numbers are drawn at random. States and charities sponsor lotteries to raise money. The practice of using lots is ancient, dating back to Moses’ instructions for taking a census and the Old Testament’s use of lotteries to distribute land. The American colonists held public and private lotteries to finance many ventures, including canals, roads, churches, colleges, libraries, and hospitals. Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to help him pay for cannons needed to defend Philadelphia from the British during the American Revolution.
Since New Hampshire launched the modern era of state lotteries in 1964, almost every state has adopted one. Advocates promote the games as a source of “painless” revenue, with players voluntarily spending their own money for a chance at a prize. State governments, in turn, spend the proceeds on a variety of programs.
The arithmetic of lottery winnings is straightforward: a jackpot grows with ticket sales, and prizes are paid out only after enough tickets match the number selected at random. But even though the odds of winning are incredibly long, the allure of the big payout is strong and enticing, and people who do not usually gamble often play.
As a result, many low-income people — those who cannot afford to spend much on their entertainment and other necessities — make up a disproportionate share of lottery players. Critics argue that lotteries function as a disguised tax on those least able to afford it.