A lottery is a method of distributing money or prizes, typically through a random drawing. Prizes may be cash or goods or services, though the most common type of lottery involves the awarding of a single, large prize. Lotteries may be promoted by government, private individuals or companies, and are often conducted as a form of gambling. Some states prohibit the sale of tickets or limit the number that can be sold; others have laws in place to regulate them and provide tax revenue. Other names for a lottery include raffle, sweepstake, and door prize.

Lottery is the process of selecting winners in a game of chance, especially one where the cost of a ticket is low and the likelihood of winning is high. It is used in a variety of decision-making situations, including sports team drafts and the allocation of scarce medical treatment.

It is also a popular way to raise funds and reward certain activities. Examples of a financial lottery include those for units in a subsidized housing block or kindergarten placements at a reputable public school. In the strict sense of a lottery, no payment is required for a chance to win; however, people purchase tickets in order to experience a thrill and indulge in fantasies about becoming rich. Lotteries cannot be accounted for by decision models based on expected value maximization, because the ticket costs more than the expected gain. However, more general utility functions can be adjusted to capture risk-seeking behavior and account for lottery purchases.