Lottery is a game of chance in which numbers are drawn for prizes. It is a form of gambling and, in the United States, is regulated by the state governments. Prizes are generally cash or goods. Some states allow players to select their own numbers while others require them to choose numbers from a pool of predetermined numbers.
The practice of lottery has long been a popular means of raising money for private and public ventures. The Old Testament instructs Moses to conduct a census and distribute land by lot, while Roman emperors used lotteries to give away slaves and property during Saturnalian feasts. Lotteries became widespread in colonial America, and by 1776 Benjamin Franklin was trying to use one to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British.
In most state lotteries, the total value of the prizes is determined by dividing the amount of sales (including profits for the promoter) and any taxes or other revenues by the number of tickets sold. In many cases, the prizes are divided into a few large prizes and several smaller ones.
Lottery rules and regulations are often set piecemeal and incrementally, with little overall oversight by the legislatures or other government bodies. As a result, few, if any, states have coherent lotteries policies and the general welfare of the public is rarely taken into account. Lotteries also develop extensive specific constituencies, including convenience store operators (whose employees often play); lottery suppliers (whose executives are heavily recruited into state political campaigns); teachers (in states in which lottery revenues are earmarked for education) and legislators themselves (who soon grow accustomed to a steady stream of “painless” revenue). A lottery is an example of how public policy is shaped by a wide variety of interests and a lack of any overarching vision or framework.