Lottery is a game of chance in which numbers or symbols are drawn at random for prizes. Although making decisions and determining fates by the casting of lots has a long record in human history, including numerous examples in the Bible, the lottery as a tool for raising money is of rather more recent origin. The first recorded lottery was organized by Roman Emperor Augustus for municipal repairs in Rome. Later, the Low Countries held public lotteries to raise funds for town walls and for aid to the poor.

State lotteries evolved from traditional raffles in which players bought tickets for a drawing to be held at some future date, weeks or months away. Then in the 1970s came innovations such as scratch-off tickets and instant games that allow the purchase of a ticket for a prize immediately. These games often had lower prizes, but they could be played more frequently and the odds of winning were usually much higher.

The most significant characteristic common to all lotteries is a pool of prize funds from the sale of tickets. These funds are deducted from the total cost of promoting and selling the tickets, and after expenses are deducted, the remaining value is awarded as prizes to the winners. Some lotteries distribute the entire pool to winners, while others may divide the pool into fractions, such as tenths. These fractions are then sold in retail shops and, in some cases, through direct mail to individual players.

One of the most interesting aspects of a lottery is its wide appeal to the general population. In the United States, for example, one in eight Americans buys a lottery ticket every week. Those who play regularly are disproportionately lower-income, less educated, and nonwhite. Moreover, as much as 70 to 80 percent of lottery revenues are generated by the top 20 or 30 percent of players.

Lottery officials try to counter criticisms by emphasizing the specific benefits they bring to a state. They also try to create the impression that people who don’t play the lottery are irrational and lazy. But this argument is flawed. It ignores the fact that state governments depend heavily on lottery revenue to supplement their budgets.

Lottery critics also overlook the way that lotteries have developed a powerful constituency, with broad and deep roots in the society. These include convenience store operators, which benefit from the high volume of sales; lottery suppliers, which make heavy contributions to state political campaigns; teachers (in those states where lotteries are earmarked for education); and the state legislators themselves, who quickly become accustomed to the additional cash flow. In this sense, state lotteries are a classic case of public policy being made piecemeal and incrementally, without any overall vision. The result is that state officials end up with policies they can do nothing to change and a dependence on lottery revenue they can do little to reduce. This is a familiar pattern in government, but it is particularly evident when dealing with gambling issues.