Lottery is a game where players purchase tickets and hope to win prizes by matching a series of numbers drawn at random. Prizes range from small cash sums to large jackpots. The lottery was first introduced in America in the early 17th century to finance colonial infrastructure projects, including building roads and wharves. Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British. In the 18th century, Thomas Jefferson sought a government license to run a private lottery, aimed at relieving his crushing debts.

The practice of distributing property and even life chances by lot has a long history (the Old Testament includes several examples), although a state-sponsored lottery is of more recent origin. Lottery has broad appeal as a means of raising money for public purpose. It is cheap to organize, easy to conduct, and popular with the general public. In states where it is legal, 60% of adults report playing at least once a year.

But critics argue that despite the fact that most people do not play compulsively, lottery revenues may contribute to the spread of gambling addiction and are a major regressive tax on lower-income groups. They also claim that lottery funds are a substitute for general taxes that could be used for other purposes, such as education budgets.

Supporters counter that lottery revenues are a painless source of revenue, with winners voluntarily spending their own money for the benefit of society. But opportunity cost is a real thing, and frequent lottery purchases deprive people of other ways to spend their money, including saving for retirement or paying off debt.