A lottery is a game where you pay for a ticket and then have the chance to win a prize if your numbers match those randomly drawn by a machine. The concept of drawing lots to determine fates and awards has a long history, and is well documented in ancient texts. The use of lotteries to raise money for specific projects is less widespread, but is also very old. Lottery revenues typically expand dramatically upon introduction, then level off and may even decline. This has led to the constant introduction of new games in a bid to maintain or increase revenues.
In colonial America, the lottery was a common way of financing public works and private enterprises. It helped to pave streets, construct wharves, build churches, and fund colleges and other schools. Benjamin Franklin even sponsored a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia from the British.
Lottery play is influenced by socio-economic factors such as gender, age, and income. Men tend to play more than women, blacks and Hispanics more than whites, and the young and the elderly play less than middle-aged people. Despite these differences, the fact remains that a substantial percentage of adults participate in lotteries.
State governments are heavily dependent on lottery revenues and pressures to increase them remain intense. Yet few, if any, have a coherent gambling policy. The evolution of lotteries is a classic case of policy being made piecemeal and incrementally, with little or no overall overview. This creates a situation where the interests of the general public are subordinated to the needs of convenience store operators, lottery suppliers, teachers (in states where proceeds are earmarked for education), and state legislators.