Lottery

A lottery is an arrangement in which prizes are allocated by a process that depends entirely on chance. It is the only form of gambling that dangles the promise of instant riches in the face of inequality and limited social mobility.

Lotteries have broad popular support and develop specific constituencies including convenience store operators (who serve as the usual vendors); suppliers of scratch tickets (heavy contributions to state political campaigns are reported); teachers, especially in states in which lotto revenues are earmarked for education; and state legislators (who quickly become accustomed to extra revenue). Lottery participation is also quite high among the middle class.

The lottery has been criticized for its promotion of gambling addiction and the distortions it introduces into society. It has been accused of exaggerating the chances of winning by using misleading claims about odds and probability. In addition, it promotes covetousness by luring players with the belief that if they win the jackpot, their problems will disappear. (This is a violation of the biblical command against coveting your neighbor’s house, his wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, and so on. See Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Many people simply enjoy playing the lottery, and there is a certain inextricable human impulse to do so. But there are more profound issues at stake, particularly the insidious way that the lottery encourages a dependence on chance and the denial of personal responsibility. The lottery is a classic case of the “sunk cost fallacy.” It costs more to run the lottery than it raises in prize money, so it will eventually go broke, unless new games are introduced.