Lottery, in its broadest sense, is an arrangement for awarding prizes based on chance. The word has a long history: the biblical Book of Numbers contains several examples of property being allocated by lot, and Roman emperors used it to distribute slaves and other goods at Saturnalian feasts.
Modern state lotteries began as a legalized version of the illegal numbers games that had been commonplace in many cities; patrons would mark a line or box on a playslip to indicate their agreement to let a computer pick their winning numbers, but the players’ overall odds of winning remained unchanged. The popularity of this new game brought in enormous revenues for lottery operators, which rapidly expanded the range of games offered.
The basic operations of a lottery are similar for every jurisdiction: the government establishes a monopoly to run the game (or contracts with a private firm for a share of the profits); begins with a modest number of relatively simple games; then, under pressure from public officials and legislators eager to maintain or increase revenue, progressively expands its offerings with more complex games.
While the demographics of lottery play vary by country, they generally follow certain patterns: men tend to play more than women; lower-income neighborhoods play at a higher rate than do higher-income areas; and the young and old play less than those in the middle age range. These differences in participation are primarily motivated by economic factors, not social or cultural values.
