Lottery
A gambling scheme for distributing prizes by chance, especially a game in which tickets bearing particular numbers draw the prizes while the rest are blanks. The term also refers to the process of drawing lots to determine ownership or other rights. The drawing of lots has a long record in human history, including several instances in the Bible. It became more widely used as a way to raise money for towns, wars, and colleges in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Initially, states adopted lotteries because they were seen as a source of “painless” revenue. Voters want governments to spend more on public works, while politicians view lotteries as a way to do so without raising taxes.
Once state lotteries were established, they evolved rapidly. They set up a state agency or public corporation to run them (as opposed to licensing a private firm in return for a percentage of profits); began operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, under pressure for additional revenues, progressively expanded their offerings by adding new games.
One of the biggest innovations came in the 1970s, when states introduced scratch-off tickets that offered lower prize amounts but were easier to buy than traditional tickets. These proved very popular, and the resulting revenue streams allowed the lottery to grow significantly in size. By the late 1980s, it had become nearly impossible for a state not to have a lottery. But critics continue to attack the industry, alleging that it promotes addictive gambling behavior and imposes a large regressive tax on poorer communities.