A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random to determine winners. Prizes are money or goods. Lotteries can also be used for military conscription, commercial promotions in which property is given away, and the selection of jury members. In addition to state-run lotteries, private companies often conduct lotteries for a variety of purposes. In the United States, the first state-sponsored lotteries were established in 1776 by the Continental Congress to raise funds for the American Revolution. Private lotteries have been a popular means to sell products and real estate for centuries, as well as to raise funds for charity or public uses.
The word lottery is derived from Middle Dutch loterie, itself perhaps a calque on Middle French loterie “action of drawing lots,” and may refer to:
Lottery has become one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world. Its popularity has been fueled by the belief that it is an especially easy and painless way to raise taxes for a government. During the post-World War II period, it was popular to believe that the lottery would allow states to expand their social safety nets without imposing very heavy tax burdens on the middle class and working classes. This arrangement is no longer viable, and there are now a number of problems arising from the fact that governments have become heavily dependent on lottery revenue. They have also developed an attitude toward the lottery that ignores its regressiveness and irrational gambling behavior.