Lottery is an arrangement in which people pay money to participate in a random selection of items. People usually purchase tickets based on the expectation that they will win some prize. Prizes are awarded by chance, which means that the majority of people will not win a prize. Yet this does not prevent most people who are attracted to lottery participation from doing so.
The term “lottery” first appeared in Europe in the 15th century, and its meaning is derived from the Middle Dutch word loterij (literally, “action of drawing lots”). Various towns held public lotteries to raise funds for town fortifications and for the poor. The term grew in popularity in the 16th century, and by the 17th century most states had legalized lotteries.
Those who promote and run state-sponsored lotteries argue that they generate significant revenue without taxing the general population. But critics point out that this argument ignores the costs of promoting gambling and the negative impacts on the poor and problem gamblers. It also overlooks the fact that, as with any business, the lottery is run as a money-making enterprise whose advertising necessarily emphasizes winning.
In a context where researchers and IRB members are expected to be rational, it makes no sense to offer a lottery instead of direct payment. In a rational world, lottery participants would calculate the probability of winning and reduce their willingness to participate accordingly. Nevertheless, research teams often opt for a lottery rather than paying participants because it is cost effective for them. It is time that we take a close look at this culture of offering lottery payments in research.
