The casting of lots to make decisions or determine fates has a long history in human culture. In the early modern period, governments began organizing lotteries for purposes such as tax collection and public works projects. Some of these lotteries were purely recreational, but others sought to distribute prizes by drawing lots for specific, material gain. In the modern sense of the word, a lottery is any kind of game in which people try to win a prize by choosing numbers or symbols.
In the United States, state-run lotteries are popular with citizens, who spend more than $100 billion each year on tickets. However, there is a downside to this type of gambling. It promotes addictive behaviors and can result in financial ruin for some people, according to several studies. Additionally, the money raised by lotteries often goes to causes that may not be good for society.
When states decide to introduce lotteries, they generally follow a similar pattern: They legislate a state-controlled monopoly; establish a publicly run agency or corporation (rather than licensing private firms in return for a share of profits); begin operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, due to constant pressure to increase revenues, progressively expand the lottery’s size and complexity by adding new games, including keno and video poker, and introducing more sophisticated promotion through targeted advertising. The evolution of these state lotteries is a classic example of policy making at cross-purposes with the general public interest.
