A competition based on chance, in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are given to the holders of numbers drawn at random; often used as a means of raising money for public purposes. Also, sometimes:
A bag containing a miscellaneous assortment of small prizes, from which players of a game at a fair, fete, or similar event pay a nominal sum and draw a number to win a prize. Usually, the winner wins the whole lot, but occasionally a prize is confined to a single item.
In fact, the lottery was a popular form of entertainment in ancient Rome, where the prizes were primarily fancy dinnerware. It was not, however, a major source of revenue for the state.
The modern state lottery generally involves buying a ticket displaying a set of numbers between one and 59, or the number of entries is automatically chosen by machine. Prizes are then allocated according to the proportion of numbers that match; the holder of a ticket with the highest matching percentage wins the grand prize. There are various rules governing the operation of a lottery, including the size and frequency of drawings, the minimum winning amount, and whether the prize is cash or an item.
There are many types of lottery games, with different rules and odds. Some are played for a small prize, while others offer large cash prizes. The rules for each type are published on the official website. The most common lottery is the National Lottery, which has a number of different games. Its website has a number of tips to help you choose your numbers and strategy, as well as FAQs and contact information.
A figurative sense of the word is also attested: life, for example, can be a hideous lottery. It can be hard to know what will happen in the future, or even in the next hour; it is a lottery whether you get a promotion at work or have to move house. Even the choice of which judges are assigned to a case can be a lottery.
The evolution of state lotteries has often been piecemeal and incremental, with a focus on the need to generate revenues. This has led to the development of new games, and an emphasis on marketing, especially through advertising. At the same time, there are concerns about how state lotteries promote gambling, and about how this may affect poor people and problem gamblers. There is a further concern about whether this is an appropriate function for the state.