Official Lottery

In an age of inequality and limited social mobility, the idea that you can become rich just by playing a lottery is appealing. That’s why so many people play. It’s an inextricable human impulse. And it’s why the lottery is such a powerful marketing tool.

The era of state-sponsored lotteries began in the Northeast in the immediate post-World War II period, when states were expanding their array of social safety net services and wanted additional revenue to pay for them. Lotteries were promoted as an anti-tax solution, an easy way for the middle class and working class to get rich.

These campaigns were extraordinarily successful, but fundamentally misleading. For one thing, they wildly inflated the impact of lottery funds on state budgets. In California, for example, a high-profile campaign claimed that lottery proceeds covered about five per cent of the education budget in its first year.

Lottery commissions now rely on two major messages primarily. The first is that playing the lottery is fun, and they’re pretty good at promoting that. But the second message is a bit more subtle: Even if you lose, it’s OK because you’re raising money for your state. This argument sounds very familiar because it’s the same argument used for sports betting, which is also a form of gambling that has been proven to be addictive and harmful.

New York is home to a range of entertaining and exciting games, including Lotto, Take5, Cash4Life, Numbers Midday and Evening, and Keno. To see the latest winning numbers and prize amounts, please visit the NY Lottery’s official website. You can also download the official PA Lottery App and be alerted when your ticket’s numbers have been drawn.