The practice of determining property distribution by lottery can be traced back centuries. The Old Testament instructs Moses to take a census of the people of Israel and divide the land by lot; Roman emperors used it for giving away slaves and other property, and many European cities held lottery-like games to raise money for wars and other public projects. The first state lotteries in the United States were introduced by British colonists, who marketed them as a painless alternative to raising taxes or cutting government spending.
The official message that lotteries promote is that, even if you don’t win the jackpot, your purchase supports a specific public good such as education. This argument is most effective in times of financial stress, when voters are worried about the possibility of tax increases or budget cuts. But studies have shown that the objective fiscal condition of a state does not appear to be an important factor in whether or when it adopts a lottery.
A second major message that lotteries promote is that they are a way to help those in need. This argument is also most effective in times of economic distress, when voters are worried about the possibility of losing social benefits like education or health care. But studies have shown that the effect of lotteries on low-income residents is negligible or even negative.
Lotteries appeal to a wide variety of specific constituencies, including convenience store operators (who benefit from selling tickets); suppliers of services and goods that are required for running the lottery (heavy contributions by these companies to state political campaigns are routinely reported); teachers (in those states in which lotteries earmark their revenues for education); and state legislators (who quickly become accustomed to the additional revenue). The same is true of sports betting, which has been promoted as a moral duty and an antidote to rampant crime, corruption, and inequality.