Lottery is a game of chance in which people purchase tickets for a chance to win a prize. The prizes range from money to goods and services. The term “lottery” is used for both state-run and privately operated games of chance. Historically, lottery was a popular method of raising money to finance public works projects and private enterprises, including colleges like Harvard and Yale. Lotteries also had a role in the early history of America as a means to obtain voluntary taxes.
There are two broad moral arguments against lottery: that it promotes the idea of instant riches as a substitute for hard work, and that it is regressive because poorer people play it more often. The former is based on the Biblical command that we should earn wealth honestly through diligence: “The hands of the diligent shall rule, but the fingers of the wicked will suffer poverty” (Proverbs 24:24).
The latter argument is that lottery money tends to go toward gambling, not to other necessities, and is therefore a form of regressive taxation (that is, it hurts poorer people more than richer ones). This argument is supported by evidence showing that lottery plays are highest among lower-income groups, with men playing more frequently than women; blacks and Hispanics more than whites; young people playing less frequently than those in the middle age range; and that income levels predict lottery playing much more accurately than does education.
Lottery proponents counter these arguments by arguing that lottery is fun, and that the experience of buying a ticket is worth it. However, many people find that they cannot control their spending on lottery tickets, and they end up losing their money.
