The lottery is a game of chance in which people purchase tickets for a prize such as cash or goods, and the winner is determined by a random drawing. The first recorded lotteries were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, and they raised money for town fortifications, charity, and the poor. Later, the games were used in colonial America to finance a variety of public works projects. Benjamin Franklin held a lottery in 1742 to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British, and George Washington sponsored one to help pay off his debts.

Today, the lottery is a common method of raising public revenue. Many states have established state-run lotteries, and some private businesses also offer lottery games. The prizes vary greatly, as do the odds of winning them. The chances of winning a particular prize depend on how many tickets are sold, how many numbers match, and how much is paid per ticket.

Although public debate about lotteries often centers on the merits of state-based or privately run gambling operations, the underlying motivations behind lotteries are usually more complex. Lottery advocates argue that these operations can provide an alternative source of public revenue without imposing especially burdensome taxes on the middle and working classes, while critics focus on the regressive impact of state-based lotteries and other features of the industry. As a result, the development of lottery policy is often piecemeal and incremental, and public officials rarely have a coherent view of the industry as a whole.