Lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn at random to determine a prize. It’s a form of gambling that, while not illegal in most places, is often frowned upon by society.

The word lottery is believed to come from Middle Dutch loterie, or “action of drawing lots” (OED). The first state-sponsored lotteries in Europe appear to date back to the 15th century, but private lotteries were much older. Private lotteries were used to distribute property and slaves in ancient Rome. Benjamin Franklin ran a lottery during the American Revolution to raise funds for cannons for Philadelphia’s defense. The early American settlers held private lotteries to select teachers, delegates to conventions, and students for colleges.

In recent decades, public lotteries have gained in popularity because of their ability to generate large amounts of revenue for a state without especially onerous taxes on the working class and middle class. Some states have even run the lottery to pay for their social safety nets. Lottery revenues are also used for government construction projects, like roads and schools.

The most popular lottery games are the big jackpots, where millions of dollars can be won in a single drawing. The odds of winning are incredibly long, however. The majority of players are low-income, less educated, nonwhite and male. Lottery play drops with education levels and is inversely related to age, while it rises among the very wealthy. Federal and state taxation, however, snuff out most of the winnings.