A lottery is a game of chance in which numbers or symbols are drawn to determine prizes. Lotteries are popular and widespread in many countries, with the proceeds being used to fund various public and private purposes. Several states have established their own lotteries, while other lotteries are run by corporations or charitable organizations. The prize money can be in the form of cash, goods, services, or even real estate. The odds of winning a lottery prize depend on how often the game is played and how large the jackpots are. A percentage of the prize pool is typically taken by organizers for costs and profits, and the remainder is distributed to winners.

The first recorded lotteries to offer tickets with prize money of equal value were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, and records from this period show that towns used the lottery as a way of raising funds for town fortifications and other projects. Lotteries were introduced to the United States in 1612 when King James I created a lottery to provide funds for the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.

In the United States, state-run lotteries are the most common form of gambling, with people spending upward of $100 billion on tickets each year. Lotteries promote their products by dangling the prospect of instant riches, but the reality is that most lottery players are not rich and those who do win rarely keep their riches for very long. The most frequent lottery players are young people in their twenties and thirties. They are also the most likely to be men and to have high levels of educational achievement.