The official lottery is a game that allows people to win money. Typically, a person spends some money on a lottery ticket and then the government randomly picks a set of numbers and then if your numbers match, you get some of that money back.
Originally, lotteries were created to fund public services, like schools and roads. Their proponents argued that this would allow states to remain in control of their budgets without raising taxes or cutting services. But state after state began to approve lottery schemes that brought in far less than expected.
Critics, meanwhile, argued that the practice of paying for services through gambling violated basic ethical principles. They hailed from all walks of life, but the most vociferous were devout Protestants.
Cohen argues that the modern lottery evolved out of this tension, in part because a growing awareness of the profits available in the gambling business collided with a crisis in state funding. As a result, many states found it difficult to balance their budgets without either increasing taxes or slashing services.
In order to entice players, lottery commissions began to use the psychology of addiction. Everything from the look of a lottery ticket to the math behind it was designed to keep them coming back for more.
Lottery commissions rely on this strategy to attract and retain players. They also encourage them to buy tickets in larger numbers than they are legally allowed to purchase. This helps them increase jackpots and thus bring in more revenue for the lottery. However, it also makes it more likely that a player will lose their money and may be discouraged from playing in the future.