Lottery is a form of gambling where people buy tickets for a chance to win a large sum of money, sometimes in the millions. Lotteries are often run by state governments to generate revenue for public services.
Cohen’s argument begins in the nineteen-sixties, when increasing awareness of how much money could be made in the gambling business collided with a fiscal crisis in many states. As growth and inflation accelerated, it became increasingly difficult to balance state budgets without hiking taxes or cutting social safety net services, which were unpopular with voters. For politicians facing this dilemma, the lottery seemed like a magic bullet—a way to raise money seemingly out of thin air and avoid a voter backlash.
The first message that lottery commissions push is about the fun of playing the game. They rely on billboards and commercials to convince people that it’s a great way to pass the time, as well as a bit of an addiction, with the prize money being the hook. The other message is about the specific benefit to the state, usually a particular line item such as education or senior care.
The problem with this is that it obscures the true cost of running a lottery system and gives the impression that winning is always worth it. In fact, the odds of winning are very long, and most winners spend all of their windfall within a few years. In addition, a significant portion of the profits go towards workers who design scratch-off tickets, record live drawing events, and keep websites up to date.
