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Lotteries raise money for public services through games of chance, and they’re a vital source of revenue for many states. They have a long history, going back at least to the fourteenth century, when they were common in the Low Countries to fund town fortifications and charity. In modern times, they’ve become a fixture of state government, with more than 50 states operating them. But, while the prizes are big, the total amount of money collected is tiny compared to state spending.

In Cohen’s telling, the modern era of state lotteries began in the nineteen-sixties, when rising population and inflation combined with a shrinking social safety net to create a crisis in state funding. Balancing budgets became increasingly difficult without raising taxes or cutting services, both of which engendered strong opposition from voters.

The solution, states figured, was to legalize and promote gambling as an alternative source of funds. In a nation where people were always going to gamble, the thinking went, why not allow it, and generate revenues through state-run games of chance? Despite their illegitimacy, these games of chance soon found broad popular support. And, as the new century opened, state lotteries began to spread throughout the country.