Lottery is a system of public gambling in which numbers or symbols are drawn to determine winnings. In modern lottery systems, the pool of tickets or counterfoils is thoroughly mixed by mechanical means (such as shaking or tossing) and then the winners are selected randomly by a draw. Computers are increasingly used to conduct these draws, although the precise method of drawing is often left up to the individual lottery officials.

In the United States, the lottery is one of the most popular forms of gambling, with a substantial share of the overall gambling industry. State governments benefit from lottery revenues, which are used to pay commissions to retailers and the overhead for the lottery system itself as well as other public purposes such as infrastructure development, education, and gambling addiction initiatives.

While the casting of lots has a long history in human society, the first recorded public lotteries offering money as prizes were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century to raise funds for town fortifications and help the poor. Since then, they have become a fixture of state government.

There are many factors that influence the popularity of the lottery, including demographics and economic conditions. Lottery play is more common among men than women; blacks and Hispanics play more than whites; young people and the elderly play less than those in the middle age ranges; and lottery play declines with increasing levels of formal education, even though non-lottery gambling increases. The popularity of the lottery also depends on the extent to which it offers a hope of instant riches.