The Effects of Winning the Lottery on a Winner’s Well-Being

Lottery is a form of gambling whereby the prize, or pool of prizes, depends on a random process. It is distinguished from other games of chance wherein the player pays a consideration, such as money or goods, for the opportunity to win. Its history dates back to ancient times, with Moses being instructed in the Old Testament to take a census and divide land by lot and Roman emperors giving away property and slaves by lottery.

In modern times, lotteries are common sources of public funds for a variety of purposes. In the United States, they have helped finance roads, libraries, schools, canals, bridges, colleges, and churches. They have also been used to raise money for military expeditions and local militias, a role that continued during the Revolutionary War when ten colonies held lotteries to fund their armed forces.

A lottery may feature a fixed prize amount for a single ticket, a multiple-ticket drawing with varying amounts of money or goods, or a combination of the two. In the latter type, the number and value of prizes are predetermined and profits for the promoter may be deducted from the total revenue from tickets sold.

In recent years, there has been much debate over the effect of winning the lottery on a winner’s well-being. Studies such as Brickman’s 1978 study have indicated that winners do not appear to be happier than a control group after winning the lottery. However, Lindqvist et al. (2018) rescaled Brickman’s results and found that the overall life satisfaction of lottery winners increases sustainably after winning.