The lottery is a major fixture in American life. In 2021, Americans spent upward of $100 billion on tickets. Some critics see it as a blight on society, while others claim that, because lotteries raise “painless revenue”—that is, revenues from those who choose to spend their money—they are a necessary component of state budgets.

But the question of whether or not the benefits outweigh the costs is not as simple as it seems. Lotteries aren’t just about raising money, but also about influencing behavior and beliefs. The practice of making decisions and determining fates by lot has a long history in human history, including several examples in the Bible and, later, in the lives of Roman emperors. In fact, even dinner entertainment in ancient Rome was often decided by lottery.

In modern times, lottery games are primarily organized through states and, in some cases, private companies that promote them. Typically, the prize pool—the total value of all prizes—is determined by the organizers and is set before ticket sales start, though some states deduct profit for the promoter and other expenses from the final prize pool.

Lottery revenues typically expand dramatically after a lottery’s introduction, then begin to level off and possibly decline. This has prompted innovations like new games and more aggressive marketing to maintain or increase revenue. In addition, some critics argue that lotteries have a negative impact on society by encouraging gambling addiction and by skewing the distribution of wealth.