Lottery is a form of gambling in which tickets are sold for a chance to win a prize, typically a cash sum. Prizes may also be goods, services or land. It is an activity whose history dates back centuries and is found worldwide. Those who wish to participate in the lottery must buy tickets, which are available through retail outlets or online. When the drawing takes place, winners are chosen by random selection. The number of winning tickets determines the size of the jackpot, which can be as high as several million dollars. When the jackpot reaches an unclaimed amount, it rolls over to the next drawing. The word “lottery” is probably derived from the Dutch noun lot (“fate”), which is a calque on Middle English loterie, possibly from Lotto, a name that was borne by two early private lotteries that raised money for charitable purposes in England and Holland (see Lottery).
The lottery is an addictive form of gambling, and there are many cases of people who have won huge sums of money and then suffered financial ruin as a result. In addition to the financial strain, lotteries have been accused of being harmful because they lead people to spend more than they can afford.
Lottery commissions try to counter this message by promoting the specific benefits of their games, such as the money they raise for states. But that message obscures the fact that state lotteries are regressive, and that lower-income people tend to play them more often than those who can afford to do so with their own income.
