For politicians, this source of revenue has proven irresistible. Most public officials extol the happy consequences of more gambling in their jurisdictions. Careful studies indicate that no more is spent on these activities because of gambling than would have been spent otherwise. One place more money is being spent, however, is on gambling referenda and political campaigns. Lotteries are perhaps the hardest form of gambling to justify in terms of their costs and benefits.
Lotteries prey on the poor and the undereducated.
Heavy buyers include residents of low-income neighborhoods and those with limited education. Through the lottery, we are taxing those least able to pay and encouraging their delusions in order to reduce the tax rate for the rest of us. It's not a pretty picture. If the lottery were an overt rather than a hidden tax, its blatant inequity would prevent its enactment by even the most conservative legislature. Since states keep almost half of lottery receipts, the games offer the worst deal of almost any legal bet.