The earliest public lotteries, in which numbered tickets were sold for prizes of money or goods, are recorded in the Low Countries as early as the 15th century, where they were used to raise funds for town fortifications and help the poor. Lottery games have become one of the world’s most popular forms of gambling, with a global market worth more than US$50 billion.

In the US, state lotteries have been a major source of revenue for government since 1964, when New Hampshire adopted the first official lottery. Inspired by that success, New York and ten other states introduced lotteries in the following years. Today, 37 states and the District of Columbia have state lotteries.

State lotteries are based on the argument that they raise money for important public programs without the burden of heavy taxation. This message is particularly effective in times of economic distress, when people worry about potential tax increases or cuts to social safety nets. But it also appears to have some independent appeal: Lotteries have won broad support even when states’ actual fiscal condition is healthy.

People play lotteries for a variety of reasons, including the simple desire to win a prize, the belief that they have a “chance” to get rich quickly, and the allure of an instant life change. Many also have quote-unquote “systems” that they claim can improve their chances of winning, such as buying a certain type of ticket or playing at the right time of day. Regardless of the specific motivations, the evidence suggests that people who play lotteries tend to be from middle-income neighborhoods.