The Lowdown on the Lottery
There’s plenty of history behind the Lottery. In fact, it dates back to the Han Dynasty in China. And although the Lottery is a big business today, it’s also a tribute to the public’s innumeracy. Here’s the lowdown on Lottery. But what are its benefits? Read on to learn more about its origins. We’ll also examine its revenue-generating benefits.
Lottery dates back to the Chinese Han Dynasty
The first records of the Chinese Togel date back to the Han Dynasty, between 205 and 187 BC. This type of gambling was thought to have helped fund important projects for the government. According to the Book of Songs, the game was called the “drawing of lots and wood,” and it helped to fund a number of major government projects. The Chinese lottery has a rich history, beginning with its humble beginnings as a way to select talent in college.
It is a huge business
According to statistics, Americans spend about $70 billion each year on lottery tickets. That’s money that doesn’t go towards retirement savings or credit card debt. In fact, lottery money accounts for as much as 10% of the total revenue of state collective budgets for fiscal year 2014.
It generates revenue for states
The lottery generates significant revenue for states, but it’s also inefficient because of the high administrative costs associated with the game. States spend less than a third of sales on state revenue, while the other two-thirds go toward prizes, retailer commissions, and administration costs. The result is that the lottery’s revenue is far less than what its costs would be with other methods of taxation. That’s an expensive proposition, and one that is often overlooked.
It is a tribute to public innumeracy
The odds of winning the lottery are one in fourteen million, but this does not stop many people from playing anyway. According to Dr. Mark Griffiths, professor of mathematics at Nottingham Trent University, sixty-five percent of people on state benefits play the lottery at least once a week. Although the odds of winning the lottery are incredibly low, many people still play anyway because they are tempted by the chance to win big.
It encourages people to ignore the laws of probability
The lottery drains emotional energy by encouraging people to invest dreams in infinitesimal probability. Imagine that you dream of going to technical school, starting your own business, or obtaining a promotion at work. It might take your dreaming brain several years to discover that you can do all of these things without the help of the lottery. However, once you have achieved a certain amount of statistically significant confidence, you will start to enjoy the outcome of your dreams.
