The lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn to determine prizes. It can take the form of a state-sponsored game or private promotion. Lotteries are popular in many countries and are used to finance public projects, such as bridges, canals, and roads, as well as for private ventures such as land sales or sports team drafts. In colonial America, lotteries were a significant source of revenue and helped to build colleges including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, King’s College (now known as Columbia University), and more.

A few million Americans play the lottery every week, contributing billions of dollars to state coffers. But a closer look at the demographics of those players reveals that the game is not merely a way for middle-class people to buy new cars and homes. Instead, its real moneymaker is a player base that is disproportionately lower-income, less educated, and nonwhite.

Moreover, those same players tend to be less likely to use the money wisely if they win, as a recent study showed that a third of winners spend their winnings within two years of their big jackpot win. It is also worth noting that while lottery commissions promote the idea of the lottery as a harmless form of recreation, they hide its regressivity by selling it as a “game” with no underlying purpose other than chance. But there is a deeper message behind the lottery’s advertising strategy: dangling the promise of instant riches in an era of inequality and limited social mobility.