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In the immediate post-World War II period, lotteries were popularized as a way for states to provide a broader range of public services without having to increase taxes significantly. This era saw state governments struggling to keep up with the cost of inflation, and a growing belief that it was time to start bringing in new revenue sources.

Lotteries were promoted as a way to make government more efficient, and they certainly have helped reduce state budgets. But there are some questions about how much benefit they actually bring to society, and whether it is worth the trade-offs of people losing money in the process.

The lottery has long been a big business for many states, and it is surrounded by a fortress of regulation and bureaucracy. But it isn’t necessarily good for everyone, especially poor people who have the worst odds of winning.

“Lottery is basically a system that preys on the poor,” Bernal said. “Poor people are paying into a system that gives them nothing in return other than a little bit of money for the state that lawmakers can allocate however they want.” The NY Lottery started in 1967 and is governed by the New York State Gaming Commission. It is one of the most popular forms of gambling in the United States and the biggest in New York.