A lottery is an arrangement in which prizes are allocated by a process which relies wholly or mainly on chance. The prize may be a money sum, a particular service, or some other thing. Lottery may also refer to:

The first lottery-style arrangements are thought to have arisen in the Low Countries in the 15th century, where various towns organized public lotteries for a wide variety of purposes including the relief of poverty and the building of town fortifications. The word lottery is derived from the Dutch noun lot, meaning fate or fortune.

Lottery tickets can be purchased in a variety of ways, often from physical premises (such as post offices and shops) but increasingly online too. Players select a group of numbers, typically between one and 59, and win a prize depending on how many of their selections match a second set chosen at random by the lottery operator. The most significant prizes are awarded for matching all of the numbers, with lesser amounts paid for matching three, four or five.

In the United States, the lottery is a popular source of tax revenue, and it has enjoyed broad popular support since its inception. The lottery has been promoted as a “painless form of taxation”—that is, it offers voters a chance to spend their own money for the benefit of the community without incurring any real expense or burden. The popularity of the lottery is also linked to a perception that its proceeds are being spent for a specific purpose, such as education.

There are also a number of criticisms against the lottery, especially its reliance on chance and its alleged regressive impact on lower-income people. However, these critiques do not appear to have any significant influence over the lottery’s continued expansion.

A key reason for this is that large jackpots attract a wide range of potential customers. Moreover, they give the lottery free publicity on news websites and television, driving sales. The result is that jackpots are growing to ever-increasing levels.

Lottery advertising is a common target of critics, who accuse the companies that run lotteries of misleading consumers with exaggerated odds and inflating the value of winnings. In addition, the lottery is often subject to fraud and corruption. Some governments have banned it altogether, while others regulate it tightly. In the latter case, the government may require companies to pay for a license or otherwise ensure that the lottery is operated fairly and honestly. In some cases, the government will even appoint an independent overseer to monitor the operation of the lottery. This person is known as the state lotto commissioner. The role of the commissioner is similar to that of an auditor, except that the commissioner has more powers and responsibilities. A company that violates lottery regulations can be fined or shut down. In some cases, the commissioner will prosecute the violating party. This can be a dangerous situation for the company, as it could face civil lawsuits from those who have been unfairly excluded.