A lottery is a scheme for the distribution of prizes (or in some cases, goods or services) by lot. The word comes from the ancient practice of drawing lots to decide such things as the fate of soldiers, or who should receive the spoils of war. The casting of lots to decide the fates of people and animals has a long history, and is recorded several times in the Bible. In the modern world, state-run lotteries are increasingly common, as governments search for ways to raise money without raising taxes or cutting programs favored by voters.

In the nineteen-sixties, when growing awareness of all the money to be made in the gambling business collided with a crisis in state funding, lottery sales took off in America. States, he argues, found it difficult to balance their budgets with ever-expanding population and inflationary pressures, let alone to continue offering large social safety nets or paying for the cost of wars.

Lotteries offer a way for people to make money on the side, without risking their savings or investments. And although the odds of winning are low, the prospect of a big payout entices many players, especially in this age of inequality and limited social mobility.

Rich people do play the lottery, of course; but they buy fewer tickets than poorer people—and when they do purchase tickets, their purchases represent a much smaller percentage of their incomes. And even though the proceeds from lottery sales are used for government purposes, they’re not a transparent source of revenue like a traditional tax; consumers don’t realize that they’re being tapped for an implicit “tax rate.” That’s one reason why the question of lotteries rarely makes it to the ballot box.