Lottery is a form of gambling in which participants purchase tickets for a chance to win a prize. Prizes may be cash or goods, or a fixed percentage of total ticket sales (the latter option is more common in recent lottery games). Lotteries are popular in many countries and raise large amounts of money for public or private enterprises. Some people use strategies to improve their odds, such as purchasing multiple tickets or selecting numbers in advance.

In some cases, the winner is chosen by drawing lots or other random methods. Some of the first recorded lotteries in Europe were held in the 15th century to raise funds for town fortifications and to help the poor. Many cities, including Rome and Ghent, still hold regular lotteries. The earliest known financial lotteries were played at dinner parties during the Roman Empire, where guests were given tickets to mark items with their names. During the 1700s, lotteries were a major source of funding for public works projects, such as canals, roads, libraries, churches, colleges, and universities.

Despite their glaring mathematical impossibility, lottery prizes attract players by offering a sense of hope. They also give participants a few minutes, hours, or days to dream about the winnings and imagine themselves richer. These feelings are important to some people, especially those who live in societies with limited social mobility or job security. One thing we know is that people who play the lottery are not randomly distributed across society; they are disproportionately lower-income, less educated, and nonwhite. This is the audience that lottery marketers seek, and they are successful at delivering on their promise of instant riches.