The casting of lots for determining fates and acquiring property has a long history in human society. Lotteries, wherein players voluntarily spend their money in exchange for the chance to win prizes, have played an important role in raising funds for a variety of public goods and services. In colonial America, for example, the lottery was used to finance paving streets, building schools, and even shipping supplies to the Virginia Colony. The lottery continues to be an important source of revenue for state governments today, with earmarked proceeds being directed to specific purposes such as public education or social programs.
Typically, a state’s lottery begins with a legislative monopoly; establishes a state agency or public corporation to run the lottery; launches with a modest number of relatively simple games and a limited prize pool; and then — due to continuing pressure for increased revenues — progressively expands its portfolio of offerings to maintain or increase its popularity. This expansion has often been accompanied by an increasing level of advertising.
Lottery advertisements typically emphasize the size of a jackpot, and they clearly target people who are interested in the prospect of instant riches. Many of these individuals are committed gamblers who play a significant portion of their incomes on tickets. These people understand that the odds of winning are long, and they buy into the lottery’s message. But they also contribute billions to state receipts that could be better spent on such things as repairing roads, educating children, or helping the elderly.
