A lottery is a game of chance in which numbers are drawn for a prize. The odds of winning are slim, but the prizes can be huge — millions of dollars for the jackpot, for instance. Regardless of the size of the prize, lottery proceeds are a substantial source of state revenue. They are one of the only ways that states can raise such large sums of money without raising taxes or cutting programs.

Many people play the lottery for pure enjoyment. But there is a darker underbelly: the gamblers who genuinely believe that the longshot they’re playing for will change their lives for the better. They have all sorts of quote-unquote systems for selecting their numbers, which are based on no evidence, and they’ll spend a significant share of their incomes purchasing tickets.

Lotteries are often promoted as a way to help the poor and needy, with the promise that proceeds will be used for a good cause. But a number of studies show that those with the lowest incomes make up a disproportionate share of lottery players. Critics argue that the games are really a disguised tax on those who can least afford it.

The word “lottery” comes from the Old English loterie, derived from Latin lupere, which means “fate or fateful.” In the past, they were a common way to fund public projects. Benjamin Franklin, for example, held a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British in 1776.