The lottery is a game of chance in which people pay a small sum of money to participate, with the opportunity to win a large prize based on random selection. This game has many applications in society: filling a vacancy in a sports team among equally competing players, placing kindergarten placements at a public school, etc. In modern societies, there are several different ways of conducting a lottery: public, private, and online. The latter are especially popular because of their convenience, accessibility, and low cost.

In modern times, the lottery has become a common method of funding public projects and services, such as roads or airports. It has also been used to fund medical research and educational institutions. In the US, lottery has raised billions of dollars annually. The odds of winning the lottery are extremely low, however.

Lottery has a long history, although the casting of lots for decisions or fates has much earlier roots in human culture. The first recorded lotteries to offer tickets with prizes in the form of money appeared in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders, with towns attempting to raise funds for town fortifications or aid the poor.

State lotteries, which grew rapidly after New Hampshire introduced one in 1964, have followed remarkably similar patterns. The state legislates a monopoly; sets up a government agency or public corporation to run it (as opposed to licensing a private firm in return for a share of profits); starts with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, under pressure to increase revenues, gradually expands its operations by adding new games. Lotteries also develop extensive specific constituencies, including convenience store operators; lottery suppliers, who frequently make heavy contributions to state political campaigns; and teachers, in states in which lottery proceeds are earmarked for education.