Lottery is a gambling game in which numbered tickets are sold for the chance to win a prize determined by random drawing of lots. The term may also refer to:
Lotteries are a popular source of revenue for state governments, with the profits being used to fund various projects and programs. However, critics argue that the money raised by lotteries is a hidden tax, and the odds of winning are much greater than would be expected by a rational agent maximizing expected utility.
The use of lottery-like games to determine ownership or other rights dates back thousands of years. The Old Testament instructed Moses to divide the land among the Israelites by lot, and Roman emperors often gave away property or slaves in this way. Modern state-run lotteries typically include a fixed number of numbers or symbols and a fixed prize. Some people try to increase their chances of winning by using a variety of strategies.
State lotteries are a major form of gambling in the United States. In fiscal year 2006, Americans wagered $57.4 billion in the games, up from $52.6 billion in 2005. The games are marketed by large national corporations and heavily advertised on television, radio, the Internet, and in print advertisements. Surveys show that about one in five adults play the lottery at least once a month, and high-school-educated middle-aged men in the middle of the economic spectrum are the most frequent players. Many critics of the games argue that they prey on the economically disadvantaged, who should stick to their budgets and cut unnecessary spending.