Lottery /
During the Revolutionary War, lotteries were common means of raising money for state projects, and resentment of them led many to call them a hidden tax. Alexander Hamilton, for his part, argued that people should be willing to hazard trifling sums in return for the possibility of gaining great wealth.
Today, lotteries raise billions of dollars per year in the United States. Many of those dollars go to low-income and less educated players who are disproportionately nonwhite. But even for those who play regularly, the odds of winning are poor.
This article explains why, and offers suggestions for how to improve the lottery system. It is based on research and interviews with lottery operators, lottery officials, and other experts.
A number of states have a division that handles the administration of their lotteries, including selecting and licensing retailers, training retail employees to use lottery terminals, providing promotional materials, paying high-tier prizes, and ensuring that retailers and players comply with state laws. A number of these divisions publish detailed lottery statistics, including demand information for each drawing date and a breakdown of applicants by state and other criteria.