Lottery opponents were right to question the morality of government selling heroin but were largely dismissed in favor of arguments that people were going to gamble anyway, so states might as well reap the profits. This logic was bolstered by high-profile campaigns that trumpeted lottery proceeds as boons for public education, which were seen as an effective way to boost spending on the services most voters wanted without having to raise taxes.

But the money lottery funds generate, Cohen notes, is a drop in the bucket for actual state budgets. In the past fifty years, it has generated about $502 billion, but that sum represents only about 2% of total state revenue and income.

Moreover, it has not even been distributed evenly across state governments. The money has gone mainly to education and other public services, but also to infrastructure projects, such as highways, canals, and bridges.

The rest is put into state general funds and some of it goes to state casinos and racetracks. It also goes to advertising and promotional efforts, which often target poor neighborhoods, and disproportionately feature Black or Latino faces and voices.

While it is true that the odds of winning are very long, it is important to note that the odds increase with each ticket sold. Lottery players need to take the time to read the fine print and understand the odds before they play. This will help them make informed decisions and hopefully minimize their losses.