The casting of lots to determine decisions and fates has a long history, going back at least as far as biblical times. However, the lottery as a method of raising state money for purposes of material gain is much more recent, with the first lotteries appearing in Europe in the 1460s.
In general, the earliest lotteries followed similar patterns: The state legislated a monopoly for itself; established a public corporation to run it (as opposed to licensing private firms in return for a share of the profits); began operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, due to pressure for additional revenues, progressively expanded the scope and complexity of the program.
By the 1970s, lotteries were no longer a traditional raffle: the public purchased tickets for a drawing to be held at some future date, usually weeks or months away. To maintain or increase revenue, the industry introduced a variety of “instant games,” including scratch-off tickets and video poker machines.
These innovations transformed the lottery industry, resulting in a dramatic expansion in consumer spending on lottery tickets. Many of the same people who had previously resisted the notion of buying a ticket suddenly became avid shoppers for these new products.
The simplest explanation for the lottery’s enduring popularity is that most of us just plain like to gamble. But it’s also clear that lotteries dangle the promise of instant wealth in an age of inequality and limited social mobility, a message that plays well with a wide range of specific constituencies: convenience store operators (who sell the tickets); suppliers of lottery equipment (whose heavy contributions to political campaigns are reported); teachers (in states where the lottery’s proceeds are earmarked for education); and, of course, state legislators.