In a world of inequality and limited social mobility, lottery ads make winning a jackpot seem attainable and achievable. And the fact that it’s a game of chance — not skill, not luck — only compounds its allure.

The casting of lots to determine fates and prizes has a long history, going back at least as far as the ancient Roman lottery, where winners were given fancy dinnerware or other items instead of cash. The first public lotteries to sell tickets with a prize of money were recorded in the Low Countries in the 15th century, raising funds for town fortifications and helping the poor.

Lottery advertising relies on narratives of past winners to appeal to aspirational desires and create a sense of social mobility, making the jackpot seem both attainable and life-changing. The more the prize rises, the more people buy tickets. It’s all part of a well-known marketing strategy that lottery officials are quite adept at.

State lotteries were introduced in the immediate post-World War II period as a way for states to expand their social safety nets and other services without increasing taxes on ordinary citizens. Politicians and voters alike viewed them as a “painless revenue stream,” with players voluntarily spending their money for the good of the community. But research has shown that the objective fiscal circumstances of a state hardly have any bearing on whether or when a lottery is adopted, and that lottery revenues have grown regardless of the public’s perception of a government’s financial health.