Lottery is a form of gambling in which people buy numbered tickets for a chance to win a prize. The numbers are then drawn at random. The person who wins is the person who has all the chosen numbers. While the lottery has a long history, it is only relatively recent that it became popular in a commercial sense. In the early modern period, it was used to fund a variety of public projects, including road construction, building the British Museum, and repairing bridges. Privately organized lotteries were also common. Benjamin Franklin, for example, ran a lottery to raise money to purchase a battery of cannons to defend Philadelphia from the British in 1776.

Since that time, states have generally adopted state lotteries to raise revenue for a wide range of purposes. The prevailing argument for lotteries is that they provide painless taxation. Lottery revenues are derived from players who voluntarily spend their money, rather than through taxes imposed by government officials. This argument is particularly effective when the economy is weak and politicians face the prospect of raising taxes or cutting public services.

State lotteries are generally regulated and overseen by state governments, although many have contracted out the operation of their games to private firms. They have broad public support, with more than 60 percent of adults reporting that they play at least once a year. They have also developed extensive specific constituencies, including convenience store operators (who often sell tickets); lottery suppliers (heavy contributions to state political campaigns are regularly reported); teachers (in states in which a significant portion of the proceeds is earmarked for education); and state legislators (who quickly become accustomed to the additional revenue).

A major concern about the lottery is that it exposes people to addiction and other harmful behavioral patterns. There is no shortage of anecdotes about lottery winners who end up broke, divorced, or even suicidal. In addition, studies have shown that a substantial percentage of lottery players develop an addiction to the game, and those who spend the most on tickets are more likely to be addicted.

Despite these concerns, lottery advocates argue that there is no reason not to adopt lotteries as long as they are well-regulated and accompanied by strong warnings to the public. They further contend that lotteries are not unique in exposing participants to addiction and harm; they are just one of many ways people can choose to risk their money on an uncertain basis. Other forms of gambling, such as betting on sports events or horse races, are also associated with addictive behavior, but lotteries have the advantage of being a form of gambling that is legal and involves no skill. Nevertheless, these arguments are difficult to sustain given the prevalence of other forms of gambling.