In the modern world, many people play the lottery in order to win a prize money. However, some states are concerned that the regressive nature of this activity obscures its true cost and may have negative impacts on their citizens. Studies have shown that low income citizens tend to spend a higher percentage of their budget on lottery tickets than the general population. In addition, lotteries earn large sums of money from retailers who charge a commission on ticket sales. The money that is collected from these activities goes to education, which has been a priority for most states.
The story begins with a scene of an idyllic-looking small town where the villagers gather in a city square to draw for a lottery. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the villagers are not all as happy as they seem. Jackson’s writing style draws the reader into an unsettling reality and makes it obvious that the lottery is not all as it seems.
In the past, most states used lotteries to finance public works projects like paving streets and building wharves, according to an online government information library. But the lottery has also been used to fund a variety of other purposes, including education. Each state has its own rules and time frames in which a winner must claim his or her prize money. In the United States, for example, state controllers determine how much lottery funds are dispersed to local school districts based on Average Daily Attendance and full-time enrollment.
