The lottery is a form of gambling in which people purchase chances to win prizes by chance. The prizes vary in value from money to goods and services. The lottery is a public policy issue that can be debated for both its merits and harms. It is a method of raising funds for many different purposes, including building infrastructure, such as roads and schools, and charitable activities, such as helping the poor. It has also become a popular pastime for some people.

In the United States, there are 37 state lotteries and the District of Columbia. They are run by state governments and are regulated to ensure honesty and integrity. Most state lotteries offer various types of games, from instant-win scratch-offs to daily games where players choose numbers and hope to match them with those drawn by machines.

The practice of distributing property or assets by chance dates back centuries, as documented in the Old Testament and the writings of ancient philosophers. Moses was instructed to count the people of Israel and then divide their land among them by lot, and Roman emperors distributed gifts including property and slaves by lottery. Lotteries were introduced in the United States in the 19th century, and they quickly became popular. They are now the largest source of state revenues, accounting for more than one-third of state budgets.

Most states organize their own lotteries, although some license private firms to run the games in return for a percentage of the profits. State laws regulate these arrangements to limit the size of prizes and the total amount of money given away. In addition, the laws prohibit tampering with ticket entries or selling tickets for more than face value.

Some modern lotteries use a system similar to the Old Testament and Roman emperors, with prize allocation determined by chance. Others have a more complex process and allocate prizes in ways that depend on the performance of a person or group. Examples of this type include military conscription and commercial promotions in which a person or company is chosen by random procedure to receive certain benefits. Some states even use the lottery to allocate units in a subsidized housing development or kindergarten placements at a school.

A financial lottery, in which the prizes are money, was first recorded in the Low Countries during the 15th century, as evidenced by town records of Ghent, Bruges and Ypres. These were organized to raise money for the building of town fortifications and to help the poor.

A key issue raised by lotteries is whether it makes sense for the state to promote gambling and encourage people to spend their hard-earned incomes on a risky endeavor with uncertain payoffs. The answer to this question depends on whether the entertainment or other non-monetary utility a person gets from purchasing a lottery ticket is high enough to outweigh the disutility of the monetary loss. If so, then a lottery may be a reasonable public service.