The concept of making decisions or determining fates by the casting of lots has a long history, including several instances in the Bible. However, lotteries as a way to raise money have a much more recent origin. The first recorded public lottery was organized by Augustus Caesar for municipal repairs in Rome. In the Low Countries, town records from Ghent, Utrecht and Bruges show that lotteries were used to raise money for building towns and fortifications, and to help the poor. The first lottery to distribute prize money in the form of articles of unequal value was held in 1466 in Bruges, Belgium.

State lotteries have a long and complicated history, and the industry remains highly controversial. As public institutions, state lotteries are subject to the same pressures that affect all government agencies: they must generate a high level of revenues, operate efficiently and meet a variety of ethical and legal obligations. But promoting gambling, even for small amounts, is not necessarily an appropriate function for the lottery industry. It may have negative consequences for problem gamblers and the poor, and it promotes the false message that wealth is the answer to all problems (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A key problem is that lotteries encourage people to covet money and the things that money can buy. The Old Testament forbids covetousness (Exodus 20:17) and warns that money does not bring happiness and satisfaction (Proverbs 15:27). Lotteries also promote the lie that money is a magic bullet that will solve all life’s problems.