A lottery is a game in which tickets are sold for a prize that depends on chance. The prize money may be anything from cash to goods or services. People play lotteries for a variety of reasons, from buying a car to winning a house. A number of different types of lotteries exist, but all share a few basic features:
The casting of lots to make decisions or determine fate has a long history, with several instances in the Bible and ancient Roman lottery games for municipal repairs. The first public lotteries in the West were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, with prizes in the form of money for town fortifications and aid to the poor.
For a lottery to be considered legitimate, it must meet certain requirements. In most cases, the prizes must be publicly advertised and the odds of winning must be fairly well defined. A percentage of the pool is normally deducted for costs of organization and promotion, and a decision must be made about the balance between few large prizes and many small ones. Super-sized jackpots drive ticket sales and earn the games a windfall of free publicity on news sites and newscasts.
Once established, state lotteries generally retain broad public support and enjoy a high degree of acceptance even in times of economic stress. They do not suffer from the pitfalls of other government initiatives, such as unpopular tax increases or cuts in important programs. In fact, as Clotfelter and Cook point out, there appears to be no link between the popularity of a lottery and the actual fiscal health of the state.