Lottery is a form of gambling that offers players the chance to win large sums of money for very small investments. The practice has a long history in many societies, dating back to ancient times. In the Bible, the Lord instructed Moses to distribute land by lottery (using pieces of wood). Ancient Romans used lotteries as a way of selecting slaves and property for their Saturnalian feasts. In colonial America, public lotteries helped to fund roads, canals, libraries, churches, schools, colleges, and other state projects. The Continental Congress even established a lottery to raise funds for the Revolutionary Army, though Alexander Hamilton warned that such a lottery would become “a source of painless revenue.”
Once established, state lotteries typically enjoy broad public support. Indeed, a majority of adults report playing at least once a year, and revenues are substantial. Nonetheless, critics cite concerns about compulsive gambling and the regressive impact of lottery on lower-income populations. In addition, the constant pressure to increase revenues results in the gradual expansion of state lotteries into new games.
As the games evolve, the broader public policy debate shifts from whether or not a lottery is appropriate to more specific features of its operations. Thus, the debate about lottery usually focuses on whether state officials should control ticket sales; the size of prize awards; the selection of winners; and other issues. In the end, few states have a coherent “lottery policy.” Instead, the evolution of lottery operations is an example of how the political process often leaves government officials with policies and dependencies on revenues that they can do little to change.