The casting of lots to decide fates and distribute wealth has a long history (including in the Bible) but the first recorded lotteries that sold tickets with prize money as a means of raising funds for town fortifications, building walls, or aiding the poor occurred in the Low Countries in the 15th century. In fact, the oldest known lottery ticket was found in Bruges in Belgium, dated May 9, 1445.
Today, state governments run lotteries to raise significant amounts of money that support everything from schools and roads to prisons and hospitals. It is a big business, and because it relies on gambling, its success depends on the ability to persuade people to gamble with their hard-earned dollars. This is a tall order. The promotion of lottery games is at odds with the mission of most state governments, which are supposed to promote the general welfare.
To convince people to spend their money on a long shot, lottery marketers send two messages primarily. One is that playing the lottery is fun. The other is that it is a good way to support important state programs. The latter argument has gained in popularity as states have struggled to balance their budgets, and it obscures the regressive nature of lottery proceeds.
The popularity of the lottery as a revenue source is not, however, linked to a state’s actual financial health. In fact, studies show that the lottery is popular even when the state government’s general fund balance is healthy. Rather, it is largely related to how the proceeds are used by lotteries, and that has implications for public policy.
In addition to promoting the lottery as a “good” way to raise funds, lotteries promote it as a way to help people escape poverty. This message ignores the fact that poverty is a choice, and that God desires for us to earn our wealth through hard work, not luck. Proverbs says that lazy hands make for poverty and that only those who diligently seek will gain riches.
Because of the ways they are promoted, lotteries are a big part of the problem of societal inequality and addiction to gambling. It is time for state lawmakers to reconsider their role in promoting this type of gambling. The regressive nature of lotteries’ funding is unsustainable, and the promotion of lottery play is at odds with state goals for social justice. It is time for a new approach to raising state revenues.