Lottery is a form of gambling in which tickets with numbers or symbols are sold for the purpose of determining winners and prize amounts. Prizes are often given for a large number of tickets sold, but they may also be awarded to fewer than all ticket holders. In addition, a number of lotteries give a percentage of profits to charity. Lotteries are popular with many citizens, and they have helped raise billions for public works projects and other purposes.

Lotteries are usually run by state agencies that establish a monopoly for themselves; start with only a few simple games, which are promoted vigorously; and rely on the continued growth of revenues to expand into new games, such as video poker and keno, and to increase advertising efforts. The state legislatures that authorize lotteries are under constant pressure to meet the needs of their constituents and increase tax revenues, and they tend to expand the lottery rapidly in these directions.

The popularity of lotteries is often based on the ability of the promoter to argue that the proceeds from the lottery will benefit some specific public good, such as education. This argument is especially effective during periods of economic stress, when the state government is facing budgetary difficulties and people are fearful of increased taxes or cuts in public services. But critics point out that earmarking the proceeds does not actually reduce the state’s overall appropriations to the targeted program; the money simply goes into the general fund and can be spent for any purpose that the legislature chooses.