The Regressiveness of the Lottery

The lottery combines an element of skill with the chance to win money. Some people play just because they like gambling, but most lotteries rely on more than that to generate revenue: They dangle the promise of instant riches, which appeals to middle and working-class fantasies about a better life.

When state governments first introduced the lottery in the immediate post-World War II period, they viewed it as a way to expand state programs without especially onerous taxes on the middle and working classes. But lottery commissions have moved away from that message, focusing on two messages in particular. One is the idea that the lottery is a great experience, which obscures its regressiveness. The other is the idea that the lottery is an important part of state government, which obscures how much money it makes from a tiny proportion of the population.

The regressiveness of the lottery is clearest in scratch-off games, which are a huge part of lottery revenues. These games are disproportionately played by poorer players and generate about 65 percent of total lottery sales. The less regressive daily numbers games are more popular in the upper-middle class, but still account for only 15 percent of lottery sales.

Those who play the lottery are often obsessed with selecting their winning numbers, but it does not matter how they select their numbers: The numbers are chosen randomly. The only way to pick a better number is to buy more tickets.