The Dangers of Playing the Lottery
A game of chance in which tokens are sold for a prize based on a random drawing, often sponsored by a state or other organization. In financial lotteries, the prize money may be a single large sum or several smaller amounts. Also, an event or situation that seems to be determined by chance: “he considered combat duty a lottery.”
People buy a lot of tickets and contribute billions of dollars a year to state revenues through the lottery. Many people who play the lottery say they do so for entertainment or because they believe that winning is their only way up. Yet the odds of winning are incredibly low, and those who do win end up losing most or all of their money within a few years.
In addition, the money spent on lottery tickets could be better used by Americans for other purposes, such as paying off debt or building an emergency fund. Moreover, lottery players are disproportionately lower-income and less educated than the general population. A few dollars per week can add up over the long term, especially if the habit becomes a regular one.
Lotteries have a long history, going back to ancient times. The Old Testament instructed Moses to distribute land by lot, and Roman emperors frequently gave away property and slaves as part of Saturnalian feasts. In colonial America, lotteries helped finance public works projects including roads, canals, churches, and colleges. Lotteries were abused, however, and their use was eventually outlawed.
It is important to remember that the Bible does not prohibit gambling, but it does warn against pursuing riches carelessly. God desires that we earn our wealth honestly, as His gift (Proverbs 23:5), rather than through speculation or luck. The Bible also warns that a lazy person will not be rich: “Lazy hands make poverty; diligence brings riches.”
Those who gamble on the lottery do so with the hope that they will win big and change their lives for the better. But the reality is that most people don’t win, and those who do lose their winnings to taxes and squander them on ill-advised investments. Instead, people who want to get ahead should follow personal finance basics: pay off their debts, save for retirement and college, diversify their investment portfolios, and build an emergency fund. The rest can be left to the experts — the crack team of accountants, lawyers, and managers who can help them manage their newfound wealth.
