The casting of lots for decisions and fates has a long record in human history, including several instances recorded in the Bible. But the lottery, as a means of raising money for public works projects and distributing prizes, is much more recent, dating to the fourteen-hundreds. Lotteries were widely used in the Low Countries, where they helped finance town fortifications and charity for the poor. They became a popular form of charitable funding during the early American colonies, despite Protestant proscriptions against gambling.
The initial attraction of a lottery is its promise to raise large sums of money without imposing heavy taxes on the general population. Indeed, for most of the twentieth century, lotteries helped state governments expand their social safety nets and provide services while keeping tax rates relatively low. But that arrangement began to crumble in the late-twentieth century, as inflation slashed real estate and sales taxes, and as states’ dependence on federal revenue grew. Lotteries could not continue to float states’ budgets.
When states legalize lotteries, they generally set aside a portion of the proceeds for the purpose they are selling the tickets. A percentage is deducted for organizing and promoting the lottery, and another is usually kept as profits or revenues for the sponsoring organization. The remainder is available for prize winners. Lottery organizers and advertisers seek to maximize the number of winning tickets by offering a range of prizes, from one or two large jackpots to many smaller prizes. As a result, ticket sales typically start off high and then level off or decline.
In order to keep the public interested, lotteries must continuously introduce new games. This reflects the basic dynamic of any business: when consumers become bored, they demand more variety in their choices. Whether the underlying business is a telecommunications company or a state-sponsored game, the challenge is to find ways to increase consumer satisfaction by offering more products and features.
Moreover, because of the way the lottery is promoted as a way to support government programs, the clamor for more games often takes on ideological overtones. For example, Shirley Jackson’s story “The Lottery” criticized democracy, arguing that the majority is not always right, and citizens should be able to protest when things are unfair. The story also criticized small-town life, and its portrayal of the stultifying effect of power in undemocratic communities.
Ultimately, the problem with the lottery is that it promotes compulsive gambling. It is a form of addictive spending that may not only destroy a person’s personal finances, but can also have adverse effects on their family and community. This is a problem that state and local governments must address if they want to make sure that the benefits of the lottery outweigh the harms. Fortunately, some of these issues are being debated. While the majority of people are in favor of the lottery, some critics have emphasized its negative impacts, and are working to reduce its scope.
