The lottery is a form of gambling in which prizes are awarded by chance. Prizes may be cash or goods such as cars and houses. It is popular in many states and countries. People buy tickets to increase their chances of winning. Ticket sales are often regulated by state governments. The first lotteries were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century. They raised money for town fortifications and to help the poor. In the immediate post-World War II period, lotteries became especially popular in Northeastern states with larger social safety nets that needed extra revenue. They were portrayed as a way to do so without raising taxes on the middle class and working classes, a claim that has proven to be false for the most part.

People try to improve their odds by picking the numbers that appear less frequently in previous drawings. For example, Harvard statistics professor Mark Glickman suggests picking random numbers rather than those that are associated with significant dates such as birthdays or ages. He also advises that people buy Quick Picks rather than individual lottery tickets. He says that the expected value of a Quick Pick is higher than that of an individual ticket because the winnings are split among many winners.

The evolution of state lotteries is a classic case of public policy made piecemeal and incrementally, with little overall oversight. Consequently, officials in charge of the operations inherit policies and dependencies that they can do little to control. As a result, the lottery has become a major contributor to governmental problems such as uncontrolled spending and inefficient allocation of resources.