A lottery is an arrangement in which prizes, usually cash, are allocated by a process that relies entirely on chance. This arrangement can be simple or complex; it may include a draw of numbers for subsidized housing units or kindergarten placements, or it may involve the awarding of big money prizes in games that are played by paying participants. Prizes can be anything from a luxury home world to a trip around the globe, and winning the lottery often brings a sense of invincibility that has led to a variety of dangerous side effects.
In a typical modern lottery, people purchase tickets that contain a set of numbered or other symbols, which are gathered by the organizers for shuffling and selection in a drawing. A portion of the stakes is typically used to pay costs and profits, and a percentage is reserved for prizes. The term lotteries goes back centuries, and there are many variations on the basic concept.
The popularity of state-sponsored lotteries is usually linked to the degree to which they are seen as supporting a particular public good, such as education. This argument is especially effective in times of economic stress, when it can be argued that lottery proceeds would prevent tax increases or cutbacks to other government programs. However, research has shown that the objective fiscal circumstances of a state do not appear to have much impact on whether or when it adopts a lottery.