Lottery is any scheme for distributing prizes by chance. The term is often used to refer specifically to a state-run game where a ticket is purchased and the winner is chosen through a random drawing. It is also a synonym for any type of competitive arrangement where the prize distribution is based on a process that depends solely on chance (and not on skill).

Lotteries attract and retain broad public support by convincing people that their money will benefit a specific good, such as education. This appeal is especially effective during times of economic stress, when the lottery is promoted as an alternative to raising taxes or cutting programs. However, studies have shown that a state’s objective fiscal situation has little effect on whether or when it establishes a lottery.

Most states enact laws to regulate their lotteries, which they delegate to a lottery board or commission to administer. These organizations select and license retailers, train employees to sell tickets, record the live drawing events, promote lottery games, print the winning numbers, pay high-tier prizes, and ensure that both retailers and players comply with state law.

Most state lotteries use a computerized system to record the identities of the bettors and the amounts staked on their tickets. This system may then record the bettor’s chosen number(s) or symbols and shuffle them into a pool for selection in the lottery drawing. The results are then publicly displayed. Generally, the color of each row or column indicates how many times that application row or set of numbers or symbols was awarded the corresponding position in the lottery. A system that produces unbiased results will award each bettor’s selected number(s) or symbol a comparable number of times.