Unless you’re a professional lottery player or someone who lives in a state where it’s legal, there is very little chance that you will ever win the big money. Most people who play the lottery, however, go in with clear-eyed knowledge of the odds and how the games work. They know that for every ten tickets purchased, they have a one-in-seventeen chance of winning. They also know that, if they do win, the odds of getting the jackpot are astronomically high, and they can accept that risk.
Most states operate lotteries, where players pay a small fee to enter a drawing for a prize. The prizes can be anything from cash to goods and services, such as college scholarships or subsidized housing units. The concept of lotteries dates back to the 17th century, and the Dutch government-run Staatsloterij is the world’s oldest running lottery (1726). In the United States, Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery in 1776 to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia from the British, and Thomas Jefferson sought to hold a private lottery to alleviate his crushing debts.
State lotteries usually begin operations with a few simple games and rapidly expand their portfolio to maintain or increase revenues. Their advertising campaigns target specific constituencies, including convenience store operators; lottery suppliers (heavy contributions by suppliers to state political campaigns are frequently reported); teachers in states where lottery revenues are earmarked for education; and, of course, state legislators and governors who have a very clear stake in the success of a lottery.