Lottery means a game in which tokens are distributed or sold, the winning token or tokens being secretly predetermined or ultimately selected by lot. The word also may refer to:

Lotteries are popular with many Americans, and state governments promote them by arguing that the revenue they generate is a painless source of public funds—that is, that it comes from people who voluntarily spend their money on tickets rather than from higher taxes. Certainly, in the immediate postwar period this arrangement allowed states to expand their social safety nets without onerous taxes on the middle class and working class.

But lotteries also have a darker side. They are a form of gambling, and even when they raise large amounts of money, they are addictive, and can cause serious problems for some people. They also are at cross-purposes with the goals of government, which should be to serve the public interest.

When the jackpot on a lottery becomes hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, a fever sweeps the country and people rush to buy tickets. But when you look deeper, it’s not that easy to understand why so many people want to gamble their hard-earned money on chance.

Lottery proponents argue that the proceeds of the games benefit a particular public good, usually education. Studies, however, show that this claim is often misleading. Moreover, the objective fiscal circumstances of a state don’t seem to have much impact on whether it adopts a lottery. Instead, lottery popularity seems to be tied to a specific political dynamic: convenience store operators are often major providers of lottery tickets; suppliers make heavy contributions to state politicians; and teachers are quick to embrace the extra income from lottery revenues.