Lottery is a game in which people buy numbered tickets and prizes are awarded to the holders of numbers drawn at random. It is a form of gambling and also a method of raising funds.

Lotteries can be played for money, goods or services. They can be state-sponsored or privately run. Those who organize a lottery must establish rules governing the frequency and size of prizes, as well as the costs involved in organizing the lottery and promoting it. A percentage of the prize pool normally goes as revenue or profits to the organizers and a smaller portion is returned to the bettors.

Ticket sales increase when the chance of winning a large prize is increased. In some cultures, the larger prizes are often re-waged in order to attract more bettors. In the United States, a percentage of the ticket sales goes as taxes and administrative expenses. The remaining prize money is distributed to the winners.

The purchase of lottery tickets cannot be explained by decision models based on expected value maximization. In addition to achieving the expected benefit, a major motivation for buying tickets is to experience the thrill of participating in a lottery and to indulge in fantasies of wealth. In the case of government-sponsored lotteries, selling tickets can be a painless way to raise taxes. Benjamin Franklin held a lottery to raise funds for the construction of cannons for Philadelphia, and George Washington’s Mountain Road Lottery advertised land and slaves as prizes.