The casting of lots for decision making and determining fates has a long history (it is cited in the Bible, for example). But lotteries to win money are considerably more recent. The first recorded public lotteries in the West were held in the 15th century, raising funds to build town fortifications and help the poor. The oldest running lottery is the Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij, founded in 1726.

Lotteries are run as businesses and rely on advertising to maximize revenues. That means that advertising focuses on persuading target groups to spend their money on tickets, which carries risks for the poor and problem gamblers, among others. Also, the promotion of gambling runs at cross-purposes to a state’s mission to provide for its citizens.

State lottery officials rely on a familiar pattern: they legislate a monopoly for themselves; establish a state agency or public corporation to operate the lottery (rather than licensing a private firm in return for a share of profits); start with modest numbers of relatively simple games; and, due to continual pressures for additional revenues, progressively expand their offerings of games and prizes. This process is a classic example of policy decisions being made piecemeal and incrementally, with the overall public interest only intermittently taken into account.

The best advice for those who want to improve their chances of winning is to play a variety of lottery games and avoid picking numbers that have been drawn recently. In addition, Clotfelter advises lottery players not to select numbers that are personal to them such as birthdays and other dates or those that end with the same digit.