The distribution of property and other assets by lot has a long history. The Bible offers dozens of examples, and the Romans used it as an entertainment during Saturnalian feasts and other celebrations. The modern lottery, however, is a distinctly American invention. The Continental Congress voted to hold a lottery in 1776 to raise funds for the American Revolution, but the project was abandoned. Nonetheless, private and public lotteries became common in the United States, raising money for everything from products to property to college education. Many were seen as “voluntary taxes” for a good cause, and the proceeds helped build Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, King’s College (now Columbia), and William and Mary.

There is no magic in winning the lottery. Unless you have prior knowledge of the outcome, or can get an insider tip from a paranormal creature, the only way to improve your chances is to do some math. That’s why people use a variety of strategies, from studying statistics to avoiding numbers that have already been drawn, like consecutive numbers or numbers that end with the same digit.

State lottery policy is a classic example of the fragmented nature of government decision-making. Few, if any, states have a coherent gambling policy; instead the lotteries have evolved piecemeal over time. The result is that the decisions are influenced by political pressures and the evolving needs of the industry, rather than by the general welfare.