By adminweaLottery is any competition in which people pay to enter, names are drawn and winners are determined entirely by chance. It can be a single stage or many stages, with or without skill-based components. In the United States, state governments operate lotteries, which have a legal monopoly in the industry and use all proceeds to fund government programs. Lotteries are also widely used in the world. In fact, as of 2004, almost 90% of the world’s adult population lived in a lottery-operating country.
Lotteries first emerged in the Low Countries in the 15th century, raising funds to build town fortifications and help the poor. The word is probably derived from Middle Dutch lotinge, or perhaps a calque on the French loterie, meaning “action of drawing lots.”
People like to gamble, and when faced with dire economic conditions, they may become more willing to buy a ticket. That is why some lottery advertising strategies employ quotes from famous individuals to suggest that winning a large prize would transform their lives. But in fact, these tactics simply harm expected value and thereby depress the odds of winning.
State lotteries have broad popular support, with most adults reporting playing at least once a year. However, they also have highly specific constituencies: convenience store operators (who can sell tickets and often run aggressive advertising campaigns); suppliers of lottery services (heavy contributions by them to state political campaigns are commonly reported); teachers (as lottery proceeds are earmarked for education); and the politicians who benefit from the revenue streams they generate.