A lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn at random for a prize. The number of numbers matching those drawn determines the amount of money won, and the odds of winning are usually very long. Modern lotteries are a form of gambling, but they also serve as public policy tools. They raise “painless” revenue, which reduces the burden of taxation; politicians like lotteries because they can avert debates over the fairness of tax increases and benefit programs; and citizens support them in part because they feel they are giving something back to society.
The lottery draws people into a false hope that their problems will be solved by winning the jackpot. The Bible warns against coveting money and the things it can buy, and yet many people have trouble resisting the temptation to try to improve their lives through chance. The story in this issue of the magazine reflects on the role of the lottery in our culture.
Most state lotteries begin with a legislative monopoly; they select an independent agency or public corporation to run the operation; they start with a small number of relatively simple games; and they progressively expand the number and complexity of the available options. The expansion is driven by the need to increase the amounts of money that can be won and the popularity of the games themselves. Eventually, the lottery reaches a point where it is almost impossible to avoid playing.
Despite the many ways in which people can try to manipulate the lottery, the fundamental nature of it is that it involves random chance and a very long shot at winning. The narrator of the story notes that even the most careful lottery player can expect to lose a lot of money over time. The story reflects on the way that societies organize around these games to mark their boundaries, and the scapegoating of those who try to cross them.
The narrator of the story points out that most of the villagers attending the lottery have never actually won anything, and they are blind to this fact. They are simply following the traditions conferred on a black box, which some believe contains pieces of an even older original piece of lottery paraphernalia. The narrator is struck by the way that this sense of tradition confers respect on the box despite its lack of practical value. Ultimately, it is the power of the illusion that can be the most damaging aspect of a lottery.