By adminzonk889 The casting of lots to determine fates and decisions has a long history (see: Bible, Roman Republic). In modern times, governments have turned to lotteries for an array of purposes: to raise revenue; to promote social welfare activities; and to encourage citizens to participate in public services.
The lottery, however, is often criticized. Critics slam it for promoting addictive gambling behavior; for being a major regressive tax on low-income individuals; and for placing an unreasonable burden on state budgets. They argue that, even if lotteries do produce substantial revenues, they also may erode public trust and undermine government’s ability to meet its basic duties.
State lottery officials often stifle such criticism by pointing to a variety of benefits. They stress that the lottery is fun and a great way to pass time; tout the regressive nature of the revenue it generates; and make a point of advertising the high jackpots, believing that people will see those and believe that they’ll be “lucky.”
Lottery officials also tend to make a mistake by not communicating with their constituencies in a clear and transparent manner. They develop particular special interests that, in turn, have significant influence over their operations: convenience stores and other lottery vendors (whose profits and revenues are often earmarked for state projects); teachers, who receive a portion of the proceeds; and politicians, whose state-level campaigns benefit from generous lottery contributions from suppliers. These interests, in turn, demand that the lottery expand to new games and aggressively promote itself.