A lottery is a game where people pay to participate and have a chance of winning a prize. Typical prizes include money, goods, or services. A common form of a lottery involves the drawing of lots for a prize. Other types of lotteries include military conscription, commercial promotions in which property is given away by random procedure, and the selection of jury members. All of these are generally considered to be gambling type lotteries, as they involve a payment for the chance to win a prize.

Many people buy tickets to the lottery with a hope of becoming wealthy. However, they also know that the odds are long. Even so, they continue to play, because of the entertainment value and fantasy that the prospect of wealth provides. Hence, the purchase of lottery tickets cannot be rational under decision models based on expected utility maximization.

Historically, lotteries have been used to raise funds for a variety of purposes, such as granting units in a subsidized housing block or kindergarten placements. They have also been popular as a means of raising taxes to fund public works projects. Lotteries can be run by the government, licensed promoters, or charitable organizations.

The first recorded lottery to offer tickets for sale with cash as a prize was held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, and the word is likely derived from Middle Dutch loterie, a variant of Middle French loterie “action of drawing lots.” The early lotteries raised money for town fortifications and to help the poor. Research in the 1970s showed that lottery participation was disproportionately lower among lower-income neighborhoods. The emergence of instant games in the 1970s changed this pattern and substantially increased lottery revenues.