What is a Lottery?
Lottery is a system of distributing property or rights by chance. In modern times, a lottery is usually a form of public financing for government projects and services. Prizes may consist of cash, goods, or services; in some cases, a combination of them. The word comes from the Latin lupus rota, meaning “spool of thread.” Lotteries have been around for thousands of years. In ancient Rome, for example, the emperors often gave away slaves and land as prizes during Saturnalian feasts.
In the late fifteenth century, Europeans began to organize state-sponsored lotteries, which were popular in Burgundy and Flanders as a means of raising money for town fortifications and charity for the poor. Francis I of France authorized them for private and public profit in several cities. Some early lotteries awarded property in the form of work or labor rather than money; the first such lottery to award money prizes was the Ventura, held from 1476 in Modena, Italy, under the patronage of the wealthy d’Este family.
As the aristocracy lost their power and wealth, the lottery gained popularity among the middle class. A number of wealthy people, including many famous men such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, participated in state-sponsored lotteries to purchase land, weapons, and slaves. In the American colonies, lotteries were often used for all or portions of the financing of major projects such as building the British Museum and repairing bridges, supplying a battery of guns for Philadelphia’s defense, and rebuilding Faneuil Hall in Boston.
When a state legislature passes a law to establish a lottery, it must define the size of the prizes and how they will be awarded. The rules must also include procedures for contesting decisions. In addition, the laws must provide an explanation of how the prize amounts and winners are selected. Generally, the larger prizes are awarded to those who buy more tickets. Smaller prizes are awarded to those who buy fewer tickets.
The theme of grotesque prejudice in ordinary human life is central to Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery.” The villagers of this rural community blindly follow tradition, selecting one of their own for stoning. The story is a cautionary tale that highlights the need to remain vigilant against such evil practices.
In the nineteenth century, as states struggled with budgetary crises, a lottery became a popular source of revenue for government projects. It was easy to organize, cheap to run, and popular with voters. Lotteries were especially attractive to those states seeking solutions to tax revolt that did not enrage anti-tax voters. By the late nineteen-sixties, when California passed Proposition 13, cutting property taxes by sixty per cent, and Ronald Reagan was in the White House, more than half of the states had a lottery. Some of those lotteries, such as New Hampshire’s, have remained in operation to this day. Others have fallen out of favor because they do not bring in enough money to cover the costs of their prizes and advertising.