Is the Official Lottery Fair?
Official Lottery is a state-run gaming operation responsible for administering, regulating, and enforcing the North Dakota lottery. The Lottery is a fun way to play for your chance to win big prizes such as cars, cash, trips or even a home. But remember to be responsible and never play more than you can afford to lose. If gambling becomes a problem call 2-1-1 or GamblerND in North Dakota or Gamblers Anonymous for help.
The modern lottery began in New Hampshire in the 1960s, but humans have been playing games like this since the beginning of time. In fact, some of America’s earliest colonies were funded, in part, through such games. Today, the lottery is a billion-dollar industry that’s protected by a fortress of laws and bureaucracy, and it’s a major source of revenue for most states. But is it fair?
Cohen explains how the lottery emerged in the nineteen-sixties, when growing awareness of all the money to be made in the gambling business collided with a crisis in state funding. As the population grew and inflation rose, states found it increasingly difficult to balance their budgets without raising taxes or cutting services—and both of those options were highly unpopular with voters. So, politicians turned to the lottery, which they promoted as a “budgetary miracle,” allowing them to raise hundreds of millions of dollars without facing the wrath of their constituents.
As a result, Cohen argues that the lottery became a “popularized alternative to taxation”—one of the most successful political tactics in American history. But, while supporters of the lottery argue that it’s a “tax on the stupid,” as a retort to critics who point out that players don’t fully understand how unlikely it is that they’ll win, the truth is more complicated than that. As with all forms of gambling, lottery sales are responsive to economic fluctuations: they increase as incomes fall and unemployment rates rise, and their marketing is most heavily focused on neighborhoods that are disproportionately poor, Black, or Latino.
Winners must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age to purchase tickets and claim prizes in person. Unless otherwise specified on the ticket, winners will be required to provide a valid photo ID and proof of residency when they claim their prize. If a winning ticket is in the name of a trust, the trustee must provide proof of authority to act on behalf of the beneficiary.
In addition, winning tickets in New York must be claimed in person at Lottery Headquarters or at one of our Area Offices. Click here to find an office location near you. Please note that New York State Law requires all winners to provide the commission with a valid Social Security number or other identifier before claiming a prize. The winner’s Social Security number will be used to verify the legitimacy of the prize and to check for possible claims or offsets on the prize amount. This information will not be used for any other purposes.