A lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn at random to determine the winner of a prize. Lottery tickets are sold by public or private organizations for the purpose of raising money for a specific project or venture. In the United States, state governments operate most lotteries. In some cases, the proceeds from a lottery are used for education or public works projects. In other cases, the funds are used for other purposes approved by the state legislature.

Lottery games are popular because people enjoy the chance to win big sums of money. The specter of riches, especially in the form of a large lump-sum payment, is an irresistible lure in an age of inequality and limited social mobility. Lottery commissions know this and market their products accordingly, enticing people to play with dazzling jackpot displays.

While the casting of lots for decisions and fates has a long history, a lottery is the first systematic way in which the odds of winning are weighed. It is therefore a tool that can help to democratize wealth.

However, there is a dark side to lottery play that is a troubling reminder of the ways in which luck plays out unevenly and disproportionately in American society. The fact is, the majority of lottery players and winners come from middle-income neighborhoods and far fewer proportionally from low-income areas. This is not an accident. In the United States, lottery policy has been developed piecemeal over time, and few state governments have a coherent gambling or lottery policy.