Official lottery is a gambling game in which players place bets on the outcome of an upcoming drawing. The odds are determined by the draw’s random number generator. The prizes are distributed according to the amount of money staked. The proceeds are usually used for public good, such as education or health care.

The official lottery launched in 1967 with the slogan “Your Chance to Help Education.” It has raised billions of dollars for educational purposes. It continues to use its revenue to fund K-12 schools in New York State.

State lotteries grew out of the desire to raise funds for education. Some states also use lottery money for other public services. But a recent investigation by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found that the promise of lottery support isn’t quite matching up with reality.

Low-income Americans tend to be disproportionately drawn to state lotteries. That’s because they see the games as a way to build wealth and to get ahead during tough economic times, researchers say. And because lottery retailers are disproportionately located in lower-income neighborhoods, those communities may be more likely to believe that playing the games is a quick way to get ahead.

The problem, research shows, is that regressive gambling can have a negative impact on vulnerable populations. It damages people in the short term by tapping their resources and in the long run by undermining their confidence to succeed.

Gambling is addictive, just like alcohol and tobacco, but the difference is that lottery players are also undermining their own self-esteem. It can cause them to develop a setback mentality and to take risky spending decisions, such as rushing to purchase tickets when the economy is bad. And it can also transfer wealth from poorer, marginalized communities into the hands of richer ones.