The lottery is one of the most popular activities in the United States and contributes billions in revenue each year. People play for a variety of reasons including hoping that they will be the one to win big. Regardless of the reason for playing, it is important to understand how lottery works.
Lotteries have a long history, from the casting of lots to determine fates during Roman Saturnalia parties to selecting the winner of a raffle for the garments of Jesus after his Crucifixion. But, Cohen argues, their popularity as a means of raising money for public projects and other social purposes is more recent. During the nineteen-sixties, the need to balance state budgets without increasing taxes or cutting services prompted many Northeastern and Rust Belt states to introduce them. Lottery advocates dismissed ethical concerns, arguing that since people would gamble anyway, governments might as well pocket the profits.
Once state lotteries were established, the revenue streams grew rapidly. But revenues soon began to level off, and in some cases even decline. The result is a need to constantly introduce new games in order to maintain or increase revenue.
Most people who play the lottery do not make a living from it. The majority of lottery participants, in fact, come from the 21st through 60th percentile of the income distribution. These are people who have a few dollars in their pockets for discretionary spending and who may not see much hope of moving up the ladder by any other means.