Lottery is a method of raising money for public or private purposes by offering chances to win prizes that are determined by chance. It consists of the sale of tickets or other chances and a drawing of winning tickets to determine the prize winners. Typically, the prize pool includes large amounts of cash and other items of value. Lottery proceeds have wide appeal as a source of revenue because they are relatively inexpensive to organize and popular with the general public. They can be used to raise money for a variety of purposes, from units in a subsidized housing block to kindergarten placements at a reputable public school.
The first lotteries, selling tickets for cash or goods, appear in the town records of the Low Countries in the 15th century. The Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij still operates today, and it is regarded as the oldest running lottery in Europe. Lotteries were especially popular in the 17th century, when they raised funds for a wide range of public usages. They were hailed as a painless form of taxation.
Lotteries can be addictive, and they entice people with promises of instant riches. The biblical standard of gaining wealth by honest toil and perseverance is a much more realistic approach than playing the lottery, with its promise of a quick richness that will disappear as quickly as it appeared. Besides, playing the lottery focuses one’s attention on temporary riches and wealth rather than on God’s desire that we earn our incomes honestly, and that we strive for long-term success: “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hand work brings wealth” (Proverbs 23:5).
