The casting of lots to decide fates has a long record in human history, including several instances in the Bible. But the lottery – where people buy tickets for the chance to win a prize of money, goods or property – is more recent. The first state lottery in the United States was organized in 1776 to raise money for the Continental Congress, but they did not become popular until the middle of the 19th century.
State lotteries typically establish themselves as government monopolies, and they start with a modest number of relatively simple games. But they also face constant pressure to generate more revenue, and they progressively expand the games offered. Lottery revenues grow dramatically after a new game is introduced, but they eventually level off and even begin to decline. This leads to a constant search for new revenue sources, which has led to innovations like keno and video poker.
Despite the fact that most of them had never won, the villagers continued to play the lottery. They did not want to break the tradition. They believed that they would be able to change their fortunes by buying more tickets, and a winning ticket meant freedom from poverty. The story illustrates the fact that most of us have a hard time breaking away from old traditions.
According to Leaf Van Boven, a CU Boulder psychology professor, the main reason why people keep playing is because they imagine themselves feeling better about the future if they win than they will actually feel if they lose. This effect is exacerbated by the fact that people minimize their personal responsibility for bad outcomes, associating them with something outside of their control like luck.
