Lottery is a way for state governments to generate large sums of money. This revenue source allows them to expand their social safety nets without raising taxes too high or creating a burden for working class citizens. It is the one government program that has engendered a great deal of popular support, even in states with no other major government expenditures.

While the actual odds of winning are not as fantastic as we might have imagined when we see those billboards, there is a strong psychological pull to lottery play. Several factors play into this. One is that people have a fundamental desire to gamble. Another is that there is a belief in the meritocratic dream of wealth creation that lotteries play into. These beliefs are combined with the societal belief that everyone deserves a chance at a good life.

As a result, there is a strong and diverse constituency for lottery play. It is not just convenience store owners who are the usual ticket vendors, but also nonprofit organizations (such as churches and fraternal groups), service stations, restaurants, bars, and newsstands. Then there are the regular players, who make purchases every week and can forgo other savings in order to purchase a ticket or two. As a group, they contribute billions to lottery receipts that would have been earmarked for other public purposes.

Despite all this support, critics of the lottery point out that it is still a form of gambling and is inherently addictive. They argue that it encourages risky behavior and leads to other kinds of abuses.