The casting of lots for purposes of deciding fates and allocating property has a long record in human history. It was a common way to determine slaves in the Roman Empire and land ownership in Israel, for example. Historically, it was also a popular way to raise money for charitable causes or public works. Lotteries — in which random numbers are drawn to win a prize — are state-sponsored games of chance that have grown into a powerful and pervasive form of gambling, with some 40 states operating them as of 2004.
Most lotteries operate as monopolies that prohibit competition and use the proceeds solely to fund government programs. In the United States, for example, all state lotteries are run by the states themselves. They usually begin operations with a modest number of relatively simple games, but then, driven by pressure for additional revenues, they progressively expand both in the range of games offered and in their marketing efforts.
For example, they often team up with companies to offer merchandising deals in which the company names its products as prizes. They advertise a wide variety of products in newspapers and on television and radio. They may also team up with sports teams or celebrities for a specific promotion, such as a lottery game in which a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is the top prize.
Because the primary goal of lottery managers is to maximize revenues, their promotional activities necessarily emphasize enticing target groups to spend their money on tickets. This, in turn, carries the risk of encouraging poor people and problem gamblers to purchase lottery tickets; it also places lottery officials at cross-purposes with the general welfare.