A lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn for a prize, usually money. The practice of making decisions and determining fates by casting lots has a long history (including several instances in the Bible), but lotteries in which people try to win material possessions have a much shorter record—the first public ones were probably held around 1466 in Bruges, Belgium, and were intended to raise money for municipal repairs. After that, many states began running them, and the modern state lottery is an established institution in most countries.

A common view is that lotteries offer a harmless form of entertainment, allowing people to fantasize about winning a fortune at the cost of just a few bucks. But that’s not the whole picture. Studies have found that low-income people tend to play a disproportionate share of the games, and critics say that they’re a disguised tax on the poor.

Lottery prizes are typically paid in annual installments over 20 years, with inflation and taxes dramatically eroding their current value. And though the jackpots can be enormous, the odds of winning are extremely slim. In fact, according to the National Lottery Archive, the chance of winning a major jackpot is about 1 in 14 million, and you’ll need to buy millions of tickets to have a decent chance of winning.

So why do so many people play? One argument is that it’s just human nature to hope for a lucky break. And I’ve talked to lottery players, including those who spend $50 or $100 a week, and they do seem to have this inextricable urge. But that doesn’t explain why the ads are so deceptive—they make it look like you can change your life with a single ticket, while glossing over the many other factors involved in winning.

Whether you’re playing for the jackpot or just trying to improve your chances of winning, there are many strategies that can be used to increase your odds. For example, Harvard statistics professor Mark Glickman suggests choosing random numbers instead of obvious patterns or sequences, and playing less popular games. He also suggests pooling resources with friends or coworkers to purchase more tickets, and practicing consistency.

Lotteries have been in the news a lot lately, with accusations that they’re exploiting vulnerable groups and encouraging gambling addiction. But the truth is that these claims aren’t necessarily supported by research or logic, and there are plenty of other ways that government can help struggling families. Rather than expanding the scope of the lottery, a better option would be to put more emphasis on prevention and treatment programs. That way, we can help struggling families reclaim their financial health and build a secure future.