Lottery is a form of gambling where prizes are awarded by chance. Prizes may be money, goods or services. Lotteries are legal in many countries around the world and have become popular sources of revenue for governments and private entities.
The casting of lots to decide fates and other matters has a long history in human culture, with several examples in the Bible. More recently, public lotteries have been used to distribute goods and services, often as a substitute for taxes. In the United States, a state-run lottery has been a popular and convenient way to raise funds for a variety of purposes since 1964.
A common feature of all lotteries is the pooling and sharing of stakes. This is usually accomplished by a hierarchy of sales agents who pass the money paid for tickets up through the organization until it is “banked.” In most cases, the lottery draws winners from this pool. A second common feature is a drawing, or a procedure for determining the winning numbers or symbols. This may involve thoroughly mixing the entire pool of tickets or their counterfoils, shaking them or tossing them, or using a computer to generate random numbers.
The purchase of lottery tickets cannot be explained by decision models based on expected value maximization. However, it can be accounted for by models that account for risk-seeking behavior. For example, some people buy lottery tickets to experience a thrill and indulge in a fantasy of becoming wealthy.