The lottery is a game where participants pay for a ticket, select groups of numbers (or have machines randomly spit them out) and win prizes if their sequence matches those of other tickets. In the early 17th century, Alexander Hamilton argued that it was an ideal form of taxation, because “every man who chooses to hazard a trifling sum for the chance of considerable gain is paying a small price for the same advantage that others enjoy in the enjoyment of a great deal without risk.”

Lotteries have become enormously popular and are now in place in most states, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The money that is raised by them goes to services like public schools, park maintenance, veterans programs and pensions for city workers. But critics argue that promoting gambling through the lottery can have negative social impacts, and that running it as a business puts the state at cross-purposes with the larger public interest.

Lottery marketing campaigns expertly capitalize on the fear of missing out, or FOMO. The odds of winning are low, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t play. Often, these games are presented as something you can do for the cost of a cup of coffee. People also believe that their luck will eventually turn around, that somebody, somewhere, has to win. But is that really the case?