A lottery is a form of gambling whereby people buy tickets for a chance to win prizes. Most state governments run lotteries and most offer a range of games, from instant-win scratch-off tickets to keno and daily drawing games. Often the amount of money available to be won is large, but the odds of winning are low. In some cases, people are required to pay a fee to play, but most lotteries are free to enter.

The casting of lots to make decisions and to determine fates has a long record in human history, although the use of lotteries to raise money is of more recent origin. The first recorded public lotteries to distribute prize money were held in the Low Countries during the 15th century to fund town fortifications and help the poor.

One of the primary arguments used to support state-sponsored lotteries is that they can help finance a wide array of government services without having to increase taxes on the general population. This is a powerful argument in times of economic stress or when state budgets are under pressure. However, studies suggest that the objective fiscal condition of a state is not the major factor determining whether or when it adopts a lottery.

When states launch a lottery, they typically require that the public be given a say in the process. This provides an opportunity for critics to focus on specific features of the operation of the lottery, including its problem with compulsive gamblers and alleged regressive effects on lower-income groups.