The lottery has been used to raise money for a variety of public projects. At the outset of the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin held a lottery to raise funds for cannons. George Washington sponsored one to build roads. Lottery proceeds also funded Harvard and Yale. By the end of the 17th century, lotteries were so popular that Alexander Hamilton complained that “the majority of the community are willing to hazard a trifling sum for the hope of considerable gain.”
In general, state lotteries operate as businesses and promote gambling. This raises concerns about the impact on poor people and problem gamblers. It also raises the question whether promoting gambling is an appropriate function for a government, particularly when doing so involves dangling the promise of instant riches.
Lotteries have a long history, dating back to the casting of lots to determine fates in ancient times. In the 15th century, towns in the Low Countries began distributing tickets for prizes in cash. The first recorded lotteries to offer prize money to players were held to raise funds for town fortifications and to aid the poor.
While the public’s willingness to hazard a trifling amount for a chance of substantial gain is inextricable from human nature, there are reasons to be suspicious of lotteries. They skew the distribution of wealth, they can foster feelings of entitlement, and they can distort a society’s moral compass. It is for these reasons that many economists and other social scientists are calling for a ban on the lottery.
