Lottery is a game in which people buy tickets, numbers are randomly drawn by machines and winning tickets win prizes. Prizes range from cash to goods and services, like houses or cars, even college scholarships. People have been using lotteries for centuries, starting with Moses and the Old Testament. In the 17th century, colonial America used lotteries to fund private and public ventures, including roads, libraries, colleges and churches. George Washington held a lottery to raise funds for his expedition against Canada.

The word “lottery” comes from the Middle Dutch verb lotgen, meaning to draw lots. It was originally used to refer to a public or state-sponsored event that distributed property, but by the 15th century it had come to be applied to games of chance in general. By the end of the 16th century, the phrase had come to mean a gambling game that awarded a fixed amount to all participants, regardless of their wealth or skill.

Lotteries are run as businesses, and their advertising necessarily focuses on persuading people to spend money on them. This promotes the idea that lotteries are harmless and fun, but it can also obscure underlying concerns about how they might be regressive or addictive, or lead to negative consequences for poorer individuals or problem gamblers.

Most lotteries are governed by government, but they often operate at arm’s length from the government, with little to no oversight or accountability. As a result, policy decisions are made incrementally and piecemeal, and public welfare considerations are largely overlooked. This is especially true in states that are struggling fiscally, as the popularity of lotteries has not been tied to a state’s actual economic situation.