A contest based on chance, in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are awarded if the numbers drawn match those on the ticket. The term is also applied to any undertaking that involves chance selections, such as the drawing of lots for military conscription and commercial promotions in which prize property is given away by a random procedure.
Lottery is a widespread and popular form of gambling, with a great variety of types and prizes. Typically, payment for a ticket gives the right to a chance to win a prize, which is usually money or goods, and the value of prizes is often predetermined after expenses-including profits for the promoter, costs of promotion, taxes or other revenues-are deducted.
Supporters of lotteries argue that they raise billions for state coffers and do so in a manner that is convenient and popular with the public. They point out that many people who play the lottery do so for fun, while others feel that it is their civic duty to buy a ticket in order to help the state.
Moral arguments against lotteries are primarily concerned with their alleged regressive impact on lower-income groups and their effect on compulsive gambling. Other critics point out that the lottery undermines the moral principle of voluntary taxation by allowing states to subsidize certain activities that could be funded through a more equitable, proportional system of taxation. Despite such criticisms, the lottery remains popular and continues to evolve rapidly.