We need to re-label modern gambling (like the lottery and casinos) into what they are. Cons. An entertaining gamble is one in which you have a real shot. Heck the carnival games at least involve a reasonable skill. Whereas casino games the only skill is how bad you lose. The casino at scale is taking on no risk. (besides that people wise up to their con).

IDK about in the US, but in Canada the lotteries do fund a lot of charitable things but I wasn't able to find a good stat about the proportion. Also at the end of a day it just a waste of human potential (running the corporation and wasting human hopes on useless things instead of potentially beneficial things)