The lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random to determine the winner of a prize. The practice dates back to biblical times, when Moses was instructed by the Lord to distribute land amongst his people by lot. In colonial America, more than 200 lotteries were sanctioned to fund public ventures including roads, libraries, churches, canals and bridges, and colleges. In modern times, state-sponsored lotteries are an important source of tax revenue for governments.

Despite their popularity, lotteries raise concerns. For example, critics argue that a disproportionate number of the poor play these games, which are often advertised as “tax-free” and based on the meritocratic belief that all Americans have an inextricable desire to win money. Additionally, the odds of winning a jackpot are very low.

The history of state lotteries demonstrates how a particular policy is established, then rapidly overtaken by ongoing evolution. In the case of lottery, states legislate a monopoly for themselves; establish a public agency or corporation to run it (rather than license a private firm in exchange for a cut of revenues); start out with a modest number of relatively simple games; and then, under constant pressure to generate additional revenue, progressively expand the scope of operations, particularly by adding new games such as keno and video poker.

Because lotteries are designed to maximize revenues, they are essentially run as businesses that promote gambling. This raises issues about morality, and whether it is a proper function for government to promote gambling to the general population.