Lottery is the hottest form of gambling in America, and it contributes billions to state budgets. The people who play it are mostly middle- and lower-income, and many believe that they’re chasing the “American Dream.” Some think that winning the lottery will solve their problems and give them the money to do whatever they want. Others feel that the odds aren’t that bad and that you can win if you buy enough tickets. I’ve talked to a lot of people who play, and they defy the expectations you might have about them. These are people who spend $50 or $100 a week on lottery tickets. They have these quote-unquote systems, about lucky numbers and stores and times of day when to buy them.

These players are a bit like gamblers in general: they tend to covet the things that other people have, and they’re lured into playing the lottery with promises that their lives will be transformed if only they can get those things. But the truth is, money won in a lottery isn’t going to solve those problems. In fact, it’ll probably make them worse (see Ecclesiastes 5:10-15).

The basic idea of a lottery is that for a fee you have a chance to receive a prize whose value is predominately determined by luck rather than merit. Early examples included games of chance at dinner parties, where each guest would be given a ticket for a chance to win fancy items like dinnerware. In modern times, the prizes can be cash or goods. The prize fund can be fixed, or it can be a percentage of the total receipts.