The practice of making decisions and determining fates by casting lots dates back to ancient times, and lotteries themselves have a long history in Europe, starting with the drawing of prizes for municipal repairs in Rome. In America, lotteries have been used to settle land disputes and finance the early colonies; George Washington sponsored a lottery in 1768 to build roads.
State lotteries have become popular in part because they are a source of “painless” revenue—players voluntarily spend money that would otherwise be taxed, with the proceeds going to a public good, such as education. This argument seems particularly appealing in an anti-tax era, when voters may be unwilling to support increased taxes. The problem with this argument, however, is that state governments quickly come to depend on lotteries, and they are unable or unwilling to give them up, even in the face of financial crises.
Once a state adopts a lottery, it builds extensive and specific constituencies, including convenience store operators (the primary vendors); suppliers of lotteries and other gaming products (heavy contributions by these companies to state political campaigns are regularly reported); teachers (in those states in which the lottery revenues are earmarked for education); and state legislators (who quickly grow accustomed to the extra income). The promotion of gambling by state officials is almost universally at cross-purposes with the general public interest.
Lottery advertising focuses on two messages, both of which obscure the regressivity and irrationality of the product. One message is to emphasize the “fun” of playing a lottery, with commercials emphasizing the “wacky” and “weird” people who buy tickets. The other is to suggest that you can win big without spending much.