The Lottery and Its Promise of Instant Riches
Lottery, a game that combines the randomness of chance with the human urge to gamble, is an ancient tradition. Its roots are traced back to the 17th century, when Dutch towns held public lotteries to raise money for town fortifications and the poor. Today, state-run lotteries are the world’s most popular form of gambling, raising billions of dollars each year. In the United States, they are often criticized for contributing to compulsive gambling and regressive effects on lower-income people.
In a small village in rural America, the locals gather on June 27 for an annual lottery. Children pile up stones, and Old Man Warner quotes an old proverb: “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” But the community has a problem. The lottery is losing support and some of its participants are calling for it to be stopped.
The principal argument used to justify lotteries is that they are a source of “painless revenue,” with players voluntarily spending their money (as opposed to being taxed) for the benefit of the public good. It is an argument that presumably works well in times of economic stress, when voters and politicians are concerned about tax increases or cuts to public programs.
But research shows that this is not the only message that lotteries convey. The games also dangle the promise of instant riches, a message that is especially attractive to young people. In a nation with increasingly unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, it is an enticing message for a population hungry for ways to escape its stagnant middle.
Lottery, a game that combines the randomness of chance with the human urge to gamble, is an ancient tradition. Its roots are traced back to the 17th century, when Dutch towns held public lotteries to raise money for town fortifications and the poor. Today, state-run lotteries are the world’s most popular form of gambling, raising…