Lottery means “a method for distributing prizes by chance.”
A lottery is a form of gambling in which people’s names are drawn by lot to determine who will receive tickets or other items for an event. Lotteries are legal in many countries, including the United States. While making decisions and determining fates by the casting of lots has a long history (with several examples in the Bible), the use of lotteries to distribute money is more recent. Lotteries are popular among some groups, but are generally disapproved by others. They are criticized for encouraging people to spend more than they can afford and for contributing to economic inequality.
In the story, the townspeople assemble for the annual lottery in a small, unnamed American village. Children pile up stones as the adults assemble for this yearly ritual, which is practiced to ensure a successful corn harvest. Old Man Warner quotes an old proverb: “Lottery in June; corn be heavy soon.” Yet, the town is not a happy place. People feel resentful of Tessie, who won the lottery last year, as well as of their neighbors who have stopped playing and say they will not join them again.
The reason that the lottery is so popular, and such a source of public resentment, lies in the way it dangles a promise of instant wealth. The odds of winning are astronomically high, but even those who know they will not win cannot shake the feeling that there is a slim chance they might — just might — be the one.
Lotteries also rely on the message that the money they raise benefits some specific public good, such as education. This is particularly effective in times of economic stress, when state governments are faced with the prospect of raising taxes or cutting other programs. But, it is a misleading message. Studies show that state government lotteries are not correlated with the objective fiscal condition of a state. They are a classic example of piecemeal public policy making, in which the overall public welfare is considered only intermittently and only as a backdrop against which to evaluate individual choices and their consequences.
Moreover, studies have shown that the bulk of state lottery players and revenues come from middle-income neighborhoods. The poor participate at far lower levels, and lottery play declines with age, education, and gender. In short, a lottery is not a great equalizer. The bottom line is that there are plenty of reasons to be suspicious of the whole thing, especially in a society where so many people are already struggling. But the fact is that people plain old like to gamble, and a lottery offers the chance to do just that. It is not surprising that so many people fall for it.