A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn and prizes awarded. Some states, notably the United States, have state-sponsored lotteries; others contract out the operation of their lotteries to private companies. Many people play the lottery at some point in their lives. Some do so regularly; the top 20 to 30 percent of players account for 70 to 80 percent of all lotto sales. Generally speaking, lottery participants are disproportionately low-income, less educated, male, and nonwhite.
Despite these facts, most people still believe the lottery is a good thing. Lottery supporters often argue that it is a painless way for states to raise money. Moreover, they point out that most of the money collected by lotteries is returned to the public in the form of taxes and other revenues.
When public officials establish lotteries, they tend to legislate a state-controlled monopoly for themselves; hire a public corporation or agency to run the lottery; and begin operations with a small number of relatively simple games. Over time, however, pressures for additional revenue cause lottery officials to enlarge the size of the program and the scope of its offerings.
The short story The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, depicts an annual lottery in a small American village. The villagers assemble in June for this rite, which is believed to ensure a bountiful harvest. But the story reveals that this ritual has no basis in fact or reason, and that the villagers are blindly following an outdated tradition.