The lottery is a popular game in which numbers are drawn at random for a prize. It is considered a form of gambling, but some governments outlaw it while others endorse it and organize state or national lotteries. Many people play it as a hobby, and it can also be a source of income. In the United States, it is the most popular form of gambling. A Gallup poll found that nearly half of Americans have purchased a lottery ticket in the past 12 months. Some critics have complained that the lottery preys on economically disadvantaged people, especially those who live on fixed incomes.
In order to conduct a lottery, several requirements must be met. First, there must be a way to record the identities of all bettors and the amounts they stake. This can be done by having each bettor write his or her name on a ticket and depositing it with the lottery organization for later shuffling and selection in the drawing. Alternatively, each better may purchase a numbered receipt that is then compared to the winning numbers when the winners are announced.
The lottery was a common method of financing public works projects in the 17th century, including road construction and building universities and churches. It helped fund the colonization of England and its subsequent spread into America despite strong Protestant proscriptions against gambling. Benjamin Franklin even sponsored a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British in the American Revolution.