Lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn and winners receive prizes. Most governments regulate lottery games and some prohibit them entirely. Lotteries are also used to award public services and property, such as water rights or school building sites. The casting of lots to determine fates and property ownership has a long history (including several instances in the Bible). A common modern lottery involves drawing numbers from a pool of eligible entries. The pool usually includes a small number of very large prizes and many smaller prizes. The proportion of the pool awarded to bettors is typically 40-60 percent, depending on whether the game uses numbers or letters.

The word “lottery” is derived from the Dutch noun lot, meaning fate or destiny. It is thought that the word may be a variant of the French word loterie, or an alternative translation of the Middle Dutch word lot. In any case, the lottery has long been a popular source of gambling and speculation in Europe and North America.

Most states offer a lottery, which is usually a numbers game that allows players to select numbers from 1 to 50. The prizes range from small cash amounts to vehicles and houses. The total prize money is determined by the amount of tickets sold, the cost of organizing and promoting the lottery and the percentage that goes as revenues and profits to the state or sponsor. A significant portion of the remaining prize money is returned to the bettors. Prizes are advertised on lottery websites and through a variety of other media.