A lottery is a game in which numbers are drawn and prizes are awarded. State governments typically run lotteries, which are legalized forms of gambling and raise money to fund public programs. They also control their rules, which often prohibit commercial lotteries and impose restrictions on players. Lottery proceeds are used for a variety of public purposes, including education and infrastructure.
In the United States, state-run lotteries are monopolies that have been granted exclusive rights by the government to sell tickets and determine winners. As of August 2004, there were forty states and the District of Columbia operating lotteries.
The word lottery is thought to have originated from Middle Dutch lotinge, which was in turn a calque of Old French loterie. By the early 1600s, it had become common in Europe to organize lottery-like games that allowed people to win prizes by drawing lots for different items, such as units in a subsidized housing development or kindergarten placements at a public school.
Today, a large portion of the population participates in state-run lotteries. The majority of these participants are low-income individuals, and most purchase tickets outside of their own neighborhoods. This is because low-income areas have few grocery stores and gas stations, which are the primary outlets for lotteries. Nevertheless, the NGISC report does not support the idea that lotteries deliberately market to poor people.