Lottery is a type of gaming in which people purchase tickets and win prizes based on random chance. Prizes may be cash, goods, or services. Lottery games have a long history in many countries. Some states have state-regulated lotteries, while others have privately run lotteries. Lottery games may be played in person or by mail. Some lotteries use a computer system for recording purchases and for printing tickets, while others use an auction style format to choose winning numbers. Lotteries are popular with people of all ages and income levels, although middle-aged and older people are the largest group of lottery players. Almost 186,000 retailers sold lottery tickets in the United States in 2003, including convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants and bars, nonprofit organizations such as churches and fraternal groups, and newsstands.
The term “lottery” also refers to any game in which a numbered ticket is sold and the names of winners are drawn at random, even if skill is involved in later stages of the competition. This arrangement is called a multi-stage lottery, although in practice the odds of winning are normally lower than for a simple lottery. Lotteries usually deduct a large percentage of ticket sales for organizing and promoting the competition, and a portion of the remaining sum for prizes.
Historically, public lotteries have provided governments with an easy and convenient source of funds for both private and public ventures. In the American colonies, lotteries financed roads, canals, schools, colleges, and churches. Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery to raise money for cannons to defend Philadelphia during the Revolution. Thomas Jefferson attempted a private lottery in the hopes of alleviating his crushing debts, but it failed.
When a lottery is first introduced, politicians and the general public debate its desirability as a source of “painless” revenue — voters voluntarily spending their money (as opposed to being taxed) for a public good. But once a lottery is established, the focus shifts to other issues, such as compulsive gambling and its alleged regressive impact on low-income groups.