The lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random to determine a prize. It is generally considered to be a legitimate source of tax revenue in the United States, based on the fact that players are voluntarily spending their money for a chance at winning a prize, rather than being forced to do so by law. However, the lottery is controversial because of its alleged promotion of compulsive gambling behavior and regressive impact on poorer people.

Lottery has a long history, dating back to the Chinese Han dynasty (205 BC–187 BC). Modern state lotteries are similar to traditional raffles: players pay a small amount of money in exchange for a chance at winning a large sum of money. Although a lottery is a game of chance, many strategies have been developed to increase the odds of winning. One of the most popular is to join a lottery syndicate, which involves forming a group with friends or co-workers and buying multiple tickets.

Because state lotteries are run as businesses with a primary objective of maximizing revenues, advertising necessarily focuses on persuading target groups to spend their money on the lottery. This raises questions about whether the government should be in the business of promoting gambling, especially given that the results of this promotional activity can have negative consequences for the poor and problem gamblers, among other issues. In addition, the fact that lotteries are not subject to the same regulations as other gambling activities exacerbates this tension between state interests and the public interest.