A lottery is a type of gambling in which participants choose numbers and hope to win a prize. Most lotteries offer cash prizes. Some are organized so that a percentage of the proceeds is donated to good causes. Typically, the higher the odds of winning, the bigger the prize.

The word “lottery” comes from the Middle Dutch lottere, meaning “action of drawing lots.” The first European lotteries appeared in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders with towns attempting to raise money to fortify defenses or aid the poor. Francis I of France permitted the establishment of private and public lotteries in several cities between 1520 and 1539. The first European public lottery to award money prizes was probably the ventura, a form of chance played from 1476 in the Italian city-state of Modena, under the aegis of the ruling House of Este.

Many people buy tickets for the lottery to relieve boredom or because they think it will improve their lives. In this case, the disutility of the monetary loss is outweighed by the combined utility of entertainment and non-monetary gains. The amount of money won can make a big difference in an individual’s life, but it doesn’t guarantee wealth or happiness.

In a world of inequality and limited social mobility, the lottery dangles the promise of instant riches to millions of folks, regardless of their abilities or accomplishments. This inextricable human impulse to gamble is hard to deny. But it also obscures the regressivity of the lottery and its costs to society.