There are some people who love to dream about what they would do if they won the lottery. Some think about immediate spending sprees, luxury holidays, or buying houses in cash. Others are more practical and may plan to pay off their mortgages or student loans, and put the rest into a variety of savings and investment accounts.
Lotteries are a global phenomenon, with operations on every continent except Antarctica. The basic argument for their legitimacy is that they provide a quick route to riches, and that governments can use the proceeds to finance public projects without imposing higher taxes on the general population. These two big selling points seem to outweigh any moral or religious objections that people might have to gambling.
State lotteries were introduced in the United States in the late 1960s, with New York’s first lottery drawing in 1967 generating more than $53.6 million. New York was followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. The expansion of lotteries was rapid, and by the end of the decade lottery play had spread to most Northeastern states, which had larger social safety nets and a need for additional revenue sources.
During the expansion of the lottery industry, a number of problems emerged. In many states, state-sponsored lotteries were established without a comprehensive legislative framework or oversight mechanism. This resulted in a piecemeal approach to policy, with each state developing its own unique structure, and no coherent national gaming policy.