a method of raising money for a government or charity by selling tickets bearing numbers which are drawn at random to determine winners. Lotteries have long been popular as a painless form of taxation, and have become increasingly prevalent in the United States.
Although the casting of lots has a long history in human affairs (including several instances in the Bible), it is only in relatively recent times that the use of lottery proceeds to give away goods and services has gained popularity. The first public lottery was organized in the early Roman Empire to finance municipal repairs. Later, Roman Emperor Augustus used lotteries to distribute gifts to his guests at dinner parties.
The modern state lottery traces its origins to the New Hampshire state legislature in 1964, but has since spread to all 50 states. Lotteries are remarkably similar in structure and operation: they begin with a state monopoly, hire a public agency to manage the lottery and run it as a business; start small, with only a few games; and then expand as revenues increase and public demand grows.
Lotteries have developed broad public support by arguing that their profits are used for specific, often education-related, public purposes. They have also gained widespread support by arguing that the money is needed to reduce or eliminate state budget deficits. However, studies show that the objective fiscal circumstances of a state do not appear to influence whether or when a state adopts a lottery.