State-sponsored lotteries and the controversy over their impact are nothing new in the United States. In fact, an English lottery supported the first American settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1612. Despite opposition by those colonists who saw gambling as a dangerous activity that encouraged immoral behavior, all thirteen original colonies held lotteries to raise revenue. By 1894, however, gambling was considered a corrupting influence and was banned in most states. The tide turned once again in 1964 when the citizens of New Hampshire, who paid no sales or income tax, approved a state- sponsored lottery to raise funds needed for education. The idea of using lotteries to raise state revenues slowly spread among the states, and by December 2002, thirty-nine states had sponsored lotteries. One of several arguments against these lotteries is that they promote addictive gambling. Those who subscribe to this view argue...