Lotteries are games of chance that involve the purchase of tickets for a drawing in which one or more prizes are awarded. If the expected utility (including non-monetary benefits) outweighs the disutility of a monetary loss, then playing the lottery can be a rational decision for an individual. But, as a form of gambling, lottery play exposes participants to the risk of addiction, and some states have set minimum age requirements for players. Some also limit sales to residents only.

Lottery prizes range from a small fixed amount to the jackpot of millions of dollars. Regardless of the size of the prize, most lotteries charge some percentage of their total sales for organizing and promoting the lottery. The remainder is used to pay the winners. This percentage is normally higher for larger prizes.

The first recorded lotteries were held in the Low Countries during the 15th century, raising money for town fortifications and helping the poor. In the 17th and 18th centuries, colonial America used lotteries to fund a wide variety of public projects, including roads, libraries, schools, canals, bridges, and colleges. Benjamin Franklin even sponsored a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia.

In the modern era, lotteries typically operate like a traditional raffle. The public buys tickets for a drawing that takes place at some future time and date, usually weeks or months away. Prize amounts can be relatively large, but the odds of winning are quite low. Many innovations have been introduced to improve the popularity of the lottery and increase revenues.

While some state lotteries are privately run, the vast majority are operated by government agencies or public corporations. The management of lotteries at any level is complicated because it requires balancing the need for high revenues against social and ethical concerns. Lottery profits are especially tempting to politicians in an antitax environment.

Among the most important issues in lottery administration is managing the promotion of the game and avoiding societal problems such as corruption, fraud, and addiction. The latter can be particularly harmful to lower-income groups, since they tend to participate in lotteries at rates disproportionately less than their percentage of the overall population.

Another major issue is the impact of advertising on lottery revenues. To maximize their revenues, lotteries must promote their games and attract players. This is done by targeting specific groups with advertising campaigns that seek to convince them that playing the lottery is a good choice. But, this promotional activity raises the question of whether governments should be in the business of promoting vice.