Unless you’re a compulsive gambler, there’s not much you can do to win the lottery. But there’s still that inexplicable, ineffable human urge to play, fueled by the belief that it could be your big break. Lotteries feed that need, enticing people with huge jackpots and flashy billboards on the side of the highway, a sure sign they’ve got some folks’ attention.

Most state lotteries follow a similar pattern: the government legislates a monopoly; establishes an agency or public corporation to run the lottery (as opposed to licensing a private firm for a cut of the profits); begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games, and then — because of continued pressures for additional revenues — slowly expands their offerings over time with a variety of new games.

Once established, the resulting lotteries typically enjoy broad public support. In states where lotteries are legal, 60 percent of adults say they play at least once a year. But they also develop extensive specific constituencies: convenience store owners (lottery sales are a regular revenue source); game vendors (heavy contributions to state political campaigns are regularly reported); teachers (in those states where lottery revenues are earmarked for education); and state legislators who become accustomed to the steady flow of money.

As for the broader societal implications of these trends, they’re more complicated. There’s an inextricable human need to gamble, and the lottery – with its constant ads on the radio and TV and huge jackpots – plays on that desire. But there’s something else going on as well, a pernicious sort of sleight of hand that offers the hope of sudden riches for everyone, no matter their class or background.