A lottery is a scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance. Prizes are usually cash or goods. Some lotteries are run by governments, while others are commercial enterprises. In the United States, state-run lotteries raise money for public projects such as education and road construction. Some people use strategies to increase their odds of winning. However, these methods often do not work.

In modern times, lottery games are usually characterized by the drawing of numbers for a prize. Earlier, Roman emperors used lotteries to give away property and slaves during Saturnalian feasts. The first European state lotteries arose in the 15th century, with towns using them to raise funds for defences and the poor. Francis I of France permitted the establishment of private and public lotteries in the cities of Burgundy and Flanders.

Lottery has also been used as a way to determine the heirs of estates and other large amounts of money. It is a form of gambling, but many people consider it to be a legitimate method for dispersing wealth.

In the US, there are over 40 state-run lotteries. Despite their abuses, lotteries have long had a place in American history. They have helped finance the founding of the first English colonies and have raised money for projects in colonial America, such as building churches, paving streets, constructing wharves, and funding Harvard and Yale. Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery during the Revolutionary War to raise money for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British.