Lottery is a popular form of raising money for a state government, charity, etc., by selling tickets with numbers on them and choosing the winners at random. The word is also used as a synonym for gamble.

Making decisions and determining fates by casting lots has a long record in human history (see Bible). But lotteries are of relatively recent origin, first recorded in Europe in the 15th century for the purpose of collecting funds for town repairs and the poor.

While the popularity of the lottery is widely attributed to its painless nature (players voluntarily spend their own money, as opposed to being taxed), it has also been argued that lotteries are popular because they allow players to buy into an image of good fortune. Regardless of the truth, this “meritocratic” perception, along with the fantastic initial odds, has given rise to irrational gambling behavior among many of its players.

The earliest state-sponsored lotteries were founded in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name of the game comes from the Dutch word lot meaning “fate” or “serendipity.” The earliest public lotteries were conducted for a variety of purposes, including town repairs and aiding the poor, and prize money was usually awarded in cash, allowing winners to use the money immediately. Lotteries became very popular in America during the American Revolution, when Benjamin Franklin ran a lottery to raise money for cannons to defend Philadelphia against British attacks. Today, most states have a lottery.