What is a Lottery?

Lottery | Definition:

A gambling game or method of raising money, as for some public charitable purpose, in which a large number of tickets are sold and a drawing is held for certain prizes. Also, any scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance: to look upon life as a lottery.

The first European lotteries in the modern sense of the word appeared in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders with towns attempting to raise money to fortify defenses or aid the poor. The Continental Congress voted to establish a lottery in 1776 for the American Revolution but that was abandoned, but the practice of running smaller public lotteries, which were viewed as mechanisms for obtaining “voluntary taxes,” continued. Privately organized lotteries were also common in England and the United States as a means of selling products or property for more money than could be obtained by a regular sale.

States have a number of laws governing how their lotteries are run. These may include determining how many tickets are sold, the minimum purchase requirement and the amount of the top prize. In addition, there are often rules about what types of retailers can sell lottery tickets and the hours during which they can do so. The state lottery division may also select and license retailers, train employees of these stores to use lottery terminals, promote the sale of lotteries and verify that retailer and player compliance with state law and regulations.