Lottery is a game where participants pay money in exchange for a chance to win a prize. It is usually organized by a state government, though private companies also run lotteries. The prize may be cash or goods. Typically, the bettor writes his or her name and/or a number on a ticket, which is then deposited with the lottery organization for subsequent shuffling and selection in a drawing. The bettor then waits to find out whether or not he won.

Lotteries are popular in the United States, where they raise more than $90 billion a year. The proceeds are used for a variety of purposes, including education, roads, and medical care. State governments, which operate the majority of lotteries, are heavily dependent on these revenues. In the immediate postwar period, many states adopted lotteries as a way to expand their social safety net without raising taxes too much on the middle and working classes.

However, as with other forms of gambling, the popularity of lotteries varies by socio-economic group and other factors. In the US, for example, lower-income and less educated people are more likely to play, and their participation declines with increased age. In general, there is a correlation between income and participation in state lotteries, but other factors, such as gender, race, religion, and education, also appear to influence the likelihood of playing. These factors, combined with the fact that Lottery promotes gambling to a wide audience, make it problematic whether state-sponsored lotteries serve a useful public purpose.