Lottery is the process of distributing something, usually money or prizes, among a group of people by chance or at random. The term is derived from the Dutch noun lot, meaning “fate,” and the practice of drawing lots to distribute property or other items can be traced back centuries. The biblical book of Numbers instructed Moses to conduct a census and divide land by lot, while Roman emperors used it to give away slaves and property. The lottery was introduced to the United States in the early 19th century, and it became very popular with the public.
It seems like everyone plays the lottery; about 50 percent of Americans buy a ticket each week. But the players are disproportionately lower-income, less educated, nonwhite, and male. They are a group that doesn’t see much hope for themselves in the economy. And they find value, however irrational or mathematically impossible, in that small sliver of a hope that someone, somehow, will win the big jackpot.
The story opens in a small village on June 27, the day of the annual lottery. The villagers are excited but nervous as they assemble in the square. They have heard rumors that nearby villages are dropping the lottery in favor of something else. It’s a serious matter, they say, because the lottery is an old tradition that has always worked; it will ensure a bountiful harvest this year, according to the proverb, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”
We hear from Tessie Hutchinson, who plays the lottery every week. Her name links her to Anne Hutchinson, the American religious dissenter whose antinomian beliefs led to her excommunication from the Puritan church in 1638. Jackson uses the character to suggest that the lottery players are engaged in a similar spiritual rebellion.
Jackson also gives the lottery a distinctly racial dimension. It’s a game that is “for the people”; it’s a form of social engineering to improve the lives of the poor and the disenfranchised. The lottery has become part of a broad movement that seeks to use social engineering to solve society’s problems.
The lottery was a common way for governments and licensed promoters to raise funds to pay for public works, such as building the British Museum and repairing bridges. It also was a common method for awarding military medals and pensions, providing for orphans, and supplying the American colonies with goods. In fact, before being outlawed between 1844 and 1859, ten states conducted state-run lotteries.
The big drawback of the lottery is that it’s a bad deal for taxpayers. It costs the state more than it brings in, and it sends the message that everybody should play — whether they win or lose — because the government wants you to. It’s a similar argument that has been made about sports betting, but the percentage of state revenue that comes from it is even smaller than the amount states make from lotteries. That’s a lot of money that could be spent on other things, including education and health care.