The lottery is a gambling game in which participants pay a small amount of money for the chance to win a large sum. It is run by governments and has many variations, including instant-win scratch-off games, daily games and a variety of multi-state games such as Powerball. The prizes vary but generally consist of cash or goods such as vehicles and electronic gadgets. In the United States, almost all states and Washington, DC, have lotteries.
The earliest known lotteries were held in the Low Countries during the 15th century, to raise funds for town fortifications and to help the poor. They were originally called tijdlotteries, and tickets could be bought from local officials for an annual fee of one florin (worth about US$170 today). The winners were selected by drawing lots. The resulting prizes were often articles of unequal value, but later the earliest lotteries began to award cash prizes.
The resurgence of the lottery in the 1980s was likely driven by widening economic inequality, combined with newfound materialism that claimed anyone could become rich with enough effort and luck. It may also have been driven by popular anti-tax movements that prompted lawmakers to seek alternative ways of raising revenue. Whatever the reason, lotteries have broad public support and generate significant revenues, with players drawn disproportionately from lower-income neighborhoods.