The lottery is a popular way to raise money, and most states have one. People in the United States spent more than $100 billion on tickets in 2021. State officials promote lotteries as a way to provide public services without particularly burdensome taxes on the middle class and working classes. They are a useful source of revenue, but their costs deserve scrutiny.
A lottery is an arrangement in which prizes, such as money or goods, are allocated to participants by chance. Modern lotteries take many forms, from games in which contestants pay to enter with a small chance of winning a prize (such as a sports team’s draft pick) to those that award housing units in subsidized apartment complexes or kindergarten placements in a public school. A strict definition of a lottery requires payment for a ticket, but there are exceptions, such as military conscription and commercial promotions that give away property or goods.
The word lottery is derived from the Dutch noun lot, meaning “fate.” It can refer to any sort of contest in which winners are selected at random, from a group of applicants or competitors, such as an academic admissions lottery, a job selection process, or even finding true love. It can also refer to something that has a high probability of occurring, such as a lightning strike or hitting the jackpot.