Lottery is a gambling game where people pay money for the chance to win a prize, often a large sum of money. It is a popular form of raising funds for a variety of purposes, such as building a town, public services and helping the poor. Lottery tickets can be purchased with a small amount of money, such as a few dollars, for a chance to win a prize, often referred to as a jackpot. People who play lottery games can be found in almost every country around the world.

Shirley Jackson uses the lottery to convey a message of the dangers of blindly following tradition and the dark side of mob mentality. She also portrays the capacity for brutality and violence that is innate in human nature.

In the beginning of this story we are told that Old Man Warner is a conservative force in the community and that they follow the old saying that “Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon.” He also mentions that they hold a lottery because it has been a tradition for years and that people have benefited from it.

Then he explains that they plan a lottery with all of the families in town and that each family will receive a ticket. Then they will draw one ticket and the household with the marked ticket will be the winner. The rest of the tickets will be discarded. They will use this method for a few years until they run out of luck and then they will stop.