Lottery is a game of chance where winners are selected through a random drawing. State and national lotteries are commonplace in the US, and people spend millions of dollars on tickets every year. But the truth is, most lottery players will never win the jackpot and there are many costs associated with this popular form of gambling.

The earliest recorded use of the casting of lots for decisions and material gain was during Roman times, when emperors used it to distribute gifts of unequal value. Lotteries grew in popularity in Europe during the 15th century, with cities and towns trying to raise money for municipal repairs or provide assistance to poor citizens. The first public lotteries in the modern sense of the word were held in Burgundy and Flanders, and in England during the 16th century. Francis I of France introduced the idea to his nation in the 1500s, and it became particularly popular during the French Revolution when the king’s courtiers dominated the prizes.

States promote lotteries as a way to generate revenue without imposing onerous taxes on the working class and middle classes. But what’s missing from that message is an understanding of how much the revenue lottery games bring in and whether it’s really worth the trade-offs that state governments make when they subsidize the game with taxpayer dollars.