The lottery is a public institution that, at its best, can offer people the chance to win big money. At its worst, it can encourage gambling addictions and regressive effects on poorer households. And yet, it remains popular in the United States. What is it about this game that draws so many people in?
In a sense, it’s the same thing that makes people play any game: The fact that it can be won. The first recorded lotteries in the Low Countries in the 15th century were designed to raise funds for town fortifications and the poor. Since then, the practice has spread worldwide. It is now found in dozens of countries.
Today’s lotteries have a fairly similar structure: a state legislates the monopoly; establishes a government agency or public corporation to run it (instead of licensing a private firm in return for a share of the profits); and begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games. Over time, as pressure to increase revenues increases, the lottery progressively expands its offerings.
People who play the lottery know that the odds of winning are long. But they still go in clear-eyed, believing that there’s a sliver of hope that they’ll hit it. It’s the same feeling that people have about a game of chess or poker: The belief that one day, if they work hard enough, they might get lucky. It’s a powerful force, and it makes lottery advertising very effective.