Whether it’s the billboards that advertise the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot or just the fact that there are so many of them, there is something about lotteries that attract people. In part, this is because people plain old like to gamble and are drawn to the chance of instant riches. But it is also because, in a world where social mobility is limited and the odds of getting ahead are long, the lottery seems to promise everyone their very own big break.

In early America, where public lotteries first emerged, people could hardly be blamed for trying to increase their odds of winning a prize that would change their lives. The Continental Congress held a lottery to raise funds for the Revolutionary War, and lotteries became the main source of income for towns and states as they built schools, roads, churches, hospitals, and civil defenses. The public nature of lotteries made them seem more moral than gambling, and a large segment of American society was quite reliant on their money-raising power.

But even as the public became increasingly dependent on lotteries, they grew more divided over their role. For some, they seemed to be an effective way to impose a kind of “voluntary tax.” And for others, they represented a dangerous and deceptive form of government involvement in the lives of citizens.

A few states banned the practice entirely, but most did not. Governments and licensed promoters used the revenue generated by lotteries to fund a wide variety of projects, from building the British Museum to rebuilding Boston’s Faneuil Hall. Some projects, such as the paving of roads and bridges, were funded by direct appropriation from state governments. Others were funded by private and charitable donations and the sale of tickets.

The total value of the prizes offered by a lottery is generally the amount remaining after all expenses, including profits for the promoter and taxes or other revenues, have been deducted. This total is usually set in advance, and the number of smaller prizes awarded is based on the cost of the ticket.

While people who play lotteries are often well aware of the odds that they face, they have a hard time admitting that those odds are not always in their favor. It is not uncommon to hear of someone who slept a life of poverty and wakes up as a multimillionaire, but it is also easy to find examples of those who have won the lottery but are living a lifestyle that cannot be supported by their new earnings. Many of these people are not happy with their newfound wealth, but are unable to admit that the lifestyle they have chosen is unsustainable. They feel entitled to the fortune they have won and cannot imagine ever returning to a simpler, less lavish existence. Nevertheless, they are unlikely to give up the dream of winning the big prize. This, more than anything, is why so many people continue to play the lottery.