Lottery is a form of chance wherein people purchase tickets for the drawing of prizes. Prizes may be money, goods, or services. The first modern public lotteries appeared in the Low Countries in the 15th century when towns sought funds to fortify town defenses or to aid the poor. The first European lottery to offer money prizes was the ventura held from 1476 in Modena under the patronage of the Este family. At the outset of the Revolutionary War, colonial America used a large number of lotteries to raise money for public projects.

Historically, people of all classes played the lottery to try to improve their lives. But the popularity of the games rose with widening economic inequality, a new materialism asserting that anyone could become rich through hard work or good luck, and growing anti-tax sentiment. As a result, lotteries became the preferred method for state governments to raise money for everything from schools and libraries to canals and bridges.

But while a minority of players do win, most do not. Lottery commissions promote the message that the odds are long, but also emphasize the fun of buying a ticket. This, in turn, obscures the regressivity of the game and encourages people to spend far more than their incomes on the tickets.

The regressivity is even greater for those with the lowest incomes. They are more likely to be addicted to gambling and may have a harder time breaking the habit, which means they can spend billions of dollars in government receipts that they could have saved for retirement or college tuition.