Lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn and the player wins a prize if the winning combination matches those numbers. The games are played in the United States and most other countries and come in a wide variety of forms, including instant-win scratch-offs, daily games, and those that require players to pick multiple numbers. The game’s history extends back to at least the 17th century, and its widespread popularity in colonial America helped finance a number of public projects, including roads, libraries, colleges, churches, canals, and military fortifications.
While many critics are quick to condemn the lottery as an addictive form of gambling, others have a more nuanced view. In their view, the lottery is actually a form of social engineering that allows governments to expand programs without onerous increases in taxation. The immediate post-World War II period is often cited as an example of this, when states increased their array of services without imposing particularly burdensome taxes on the middle and working classes.
Even in these times of fiscal stress, lotteries continue to win broad support, as state governments can point to the fact that proceeds from the games are earmarked for a particular public service. Moreover, studies show that, despite a common belief, the majority of lottery players are not from low-income neighborhoods. Instead, Clotfelter and Cook find that the lottery draws heavily from “middle-income” neighborhoods, and that the percentage of players from lower-income neighborhoods is quite small relative to the overall population.
