A lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn at random to determine winners. It has a long record in human history—Nero was a big fan—and the casting of lots to decide fates and material wealth is a biblical pastime (the Hebrew scriptures have several instances). But when state governments adopt lotteries as a revenue source, it raises questions about the ethical boundaries they’ve crossed.
A rash of scandals has accompanied the lottery’s rise in the United States. The most serious concerns center on the lottery’s impact on society and on individuals, especially those at or near the poverty line. The alleged regressive nature of the lottery also raises questions about the broader issue of government spending and priorities.
Lottery games have a long history in the United States and are now available in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. New Hampshire introduced the first modern state lottery in 1964; inspired by its success, the other thirteen states followed within a few years. The lottery industry has since expanded to include video poker, keno and other innovations in addition to its traditional scratch-off tickets.
Many states also have legalized private lotteries, which raise funds for charitable causes. In recent years, private lotteries have become increasingly popular and have been a major contributor to the growth of the lottery industry in general.
State governments have used the lottery to meet a variety of public policy goals. For example, during the nineteen-seventies and eighties, a lottery was often used to pay for tax cuts and other programs that aimed to reduce the burden on working families. Lotteries have also raised money for schools, roads and bridges, and public works projects.
Lottery critics complain that the games have a negative impact on poor and working people by making them hopelessly obsessed with winning millions of dollars. But, Cohen argues, the obsession with winning is a reflection of a larger reality: The promise that education and hard work would lead to a middle-class lifestyle has been broken for most working Americans. The nineteen-seventies and eighties saw a widening income gap, a decline in job security and pensions, rising health-care costs and unemployment, and the end of a long-standing national promise that children born into low incomes could rise to wealthier levels than their parents.
Lottery officials and the companies that market the games are adept at using psychology and advertising to keep players hooked. But they aren’t above bending the rules of ethics or deception to maintain their profits.