A lottery is a game in which prizes are awarded through drawing lots. Prizes may be anything from money to goods to a chance to participate in an event. In some lotteries, the prize is a single large sum of money; in others, there are a number of smaller prizes. Lotteries are commonly run by governments or private promoters. People often play the lottery for fun, but it can also be a form of gambling.

Many states have lotteries, and people spend billions on them every year. Some people believe that winning the lottery is a way to improve their lives, but the odds are very low. In fact, the vast majority of winners go bankrupt within a few years.

In colonial era America, public lotteries were used to raise funds for projects, including building Harvard and Yale. Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery to fund cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British, and Thomas Jefferson attempted to hold one in order to pay off his crushing debts.

Lotteries are popular with the general public, and the proceeds benefit the state in a variety of ways. However, they also create extensive specific constituencies — convenience store operators (the typical vendors); lottery suppliers (heavy contributions by these entities to state political campaigns are frequently reported); teachers in those states where revenues are earmarked for education; and, of course, state legislators. These interest groups are able to keep the legislature largely on their side by arguing that lottery funds make state government less burdensome.