A lottery is a type of gambling in which participants pay for the chance to win a prize, usually a cash sum, by matching a series of numbers or symbols. State governments sponsor lotteries by legislation and public vote and rely on the popularity of the games to raise significant revenues for a variety of state purposes, including education, infrastructure, and public health. State government officials frequently promote lotteries by touting their value as a painless source of revenue. This argument has been particularly effective during economic crises, when the specter of taxes or cuts in state programs tends to be scarier to voters than a tax increase.

The origin of the word “lottery” is obscure, but it may have a root in the Middle Dutch word lotinge, meaning “action of drawing lots.” In fact, a lottery has an extensive history as a method of making decisions and determining fates by casting lots or distributing prizes, from the first recorded lotto held for municipal repairs in Rome to the first state-sponsored lottery in 1466 in Bruges. The modern lottery is a logical outgrowth of this long history.

Lotteries are typically regulated by state laws and delegated to a lottery board or commission, which is charged with selecting and licensing retailers, training employees of retailers to use lottery terminals, selling tickets, redeeming winning tickets, and assisting retailers in promoting the lottery. The lottery is also responsible for regulating the game, setting minimum and maximum jackpot prizes, and ensuring that players are treated fairly and responsibly.

In most states, lottery proceeds are used for a variety of state-sponsored initiatives, such as education, public works projects, and medical research. State officials generally promote this broad range of uses to bolster support for the lottery and to help ensure that the revenue generated by the games is distributed fairly. However, critics argue that the overall impact of the lottery is detrimental to state finances and erodes support for other forms of gambling. They further allege that the lottery promotes addictive gambling behavior and is a major regressive tax on lower-income individuals.

Although many Americans buy lottery tickets, the percentage of players falls as income increases, and play drops with age. In addition, lottery participation is disproportionately high among lower-income people, minorities, and men. Furthermore, the vast majority of lottery revenue is generated by a few large players, who are the focus of much controversy and criticism.

Despite this, lottery supporters continue to promote the game as a useful and legitimate source of revenue for state governments. In a reversal of the dynamic that created it, critics now argue that the lottery undermines the credibility of state governments, which are increasingly seen as corrupt and ineffective. They also allege that the lottery is a form of legalized cheating, resulting in widespread abuses by state officials and retailers. The resurgence of these claims is largely due to the fading appeal of traditional forms of the lottery, and state governments have responded by expanding into new games such as keno and video poker, and through aggressive promotion.