A lottery is a way of raising money by selling tickets with numbers on them. People who have the winning numbers can win prizes, such as cash or goods. The first lotteries are thought to have been held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, and they were a popular way to raise money for things such as town fortifications and help the poor. They were also used to finance projects like building the British Museum and repairing bridges.

In the United States, state lotteries are common and often very popular. But they have also come under criticism for encouraging addictive gambling and for skewed the distribution of wealth. The fact that most state lotteries are run as businesses also brings into question whether they are serving the public interest. Advertisements, for example, necessarily focus on persuading potential customers to spend their money, and the emphasis on generating revenues may have negative consequences for the poor, problem gamblers, and other groups who are attracted to the games.

The prevailing argument in favor of state lotteries is that they provide a source of “painless” revenue, with players voluntarily spending their money for the benefit of public goods such as education. This logic has proved persuasive, and few states have rejected lotteries, even in times of fiscal stress. But, in practice, the establishment of a lottery is often a process of incremental policy making that takes little account of overall policy objectives. It also quickly creates a number of special interests that have substantial influence over the lottery’s evolution: convenience store owners; suppliers of products and services (heavy contributions to state political campaigns are routinely reported); teachers in states where lottery proceeds are earmarked for education; etc.