A lottery is a game of chance in which bettors try to win money or goods by drawing lots. The practice has a long history in human society, with examples appearing in the Bible and other ancient texts. Lotteries were common in the Low Countries in the 15th century, raising funds for walls and town fortifications as well as helping the poor. The word is probably derived from Middle Dutch loterie (probably via French loterie), itself a calque of Middle English lotinge “action of drawing lots” or “fate” (“seeking”).
The basic elements of a lottery are a mechanism for collecting and pooling all stakes and a means of determining the winners. For the latter, there must be some method of recording the identities of the bettors and the amounts they are betting. This can be as simple as writing a name on a ticket that is deposited with the lottery organization for later shuffling and selection. Many modern lotteries use computers to record the names and numbers or symbols on tickets and a database for checking against those in the winning draw.
State lotteries are run as businesses with the primary goal of maximizing revenues. As a result, their advertising necessarily concentrates on persuading target groups to spend their money on the games. This promotion of gambling raises questions about whether it is appropriate for governments to promote this activity and how the lottery may be influencing public life.