A lottery is a gambling game where players pay small amounts of money for a chance to win a large sum of money. The earliest state-sponsored lotteries were introduced in Europe during the first half of the 15th century. The word “lottery” probably comes from the Dutch noun lot, meaning fate or fortune (the Oxford English Dictionary suggests a calque on Middle French loterie).

Lotteries were popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. New Hampshire was the first state to adopt one, and its success encouraged others to follow suit. Today, 37 states have a state lottery. State-run lotteries have become an essential source of revenue for many state government programs, including education, veterans’ benefits, and local infrastructure.

But the success of state-run lotteries has raised some questions about whether it is appropriate for government officials to promote gambling and profit from it. While the benefits of lotteries can be enormous, they also pose serious issues for the poor and problem gamblers. In addition, the way that state governments run lotteries tend to put them at cross-purposes with the larger public interest, which may be contradictory for a supposedly “public service” activity.

In general, state-run lotteries are little more than traditional raffles, with players purchasing tickets for a drawing at some future date. The prize amounts vary, and some states disperse the proceeds among different social-service and business and economic development programs. Other states, however, disperse them more broadly and include them in the general fund.