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The New York State Lottery is operated by the New York State Gaming Commission.
The lottery is one of the world’s largest gambling industries, generating profits in excess of $150 billion per year. The “classic” lotteries that use preprinted numbers or symbols on tickets have lost ground in recent decades to games with choice of numbers (including the popular number game lotto), which allow for much larger jackpots. As a result, the two largest lotteries in the world – Powerball and Mega Millions – draw participants from dozens of states, and they are considered de facto national lotteries. Lottery revenues are used for a variety of purposes, including public education and the creation and maintenance of public buildings and infrastructure. In many cases, lottery money is targeted in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and unemployment. The lottery is also subject to criticism for its impact on state budgets. Defenders of the lottery sometimes imply that it is a “tax on the stupid,” or argue that players do not understand how unlikely it is to win, but the truth is that lotteries respond to economic fluctuations. Lottery sales increase when incomes fall and unemployment rise, and as with all commercial products, advertising is focused on the most vulnerable populations.