Lottery is a form of gambling in which tickets bearing numbers are drawn at random to win prizes. Most states run a state lottery, though there are six which do not: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Utah and Nevada (the latter two are home to casinos). A statewide lottery can be used to raise money for many types of public projects, including highways, schools, libraries and churches.

Since New Hampshire launched the modern era of state lotteries in 1964, the practice has expanded to the point where it is now a part of everyday life. Generally, state government enacts laws regulating the lottery and delegate the responsibility for its operations to a special lottery department or commission. These agencies recruit retailers and promote lottery games, train employees of those businesses to sell and redeem tickets and verify the authenticity of winning tickets, and supervise retail compliance with state regulations.

A defining feature of most state lotteries is the requirement that a percentage of revenue be devoted to prizes. This fund is normally supplemented by a portion of proceeds from ticket sales and profits. In addition, most lotteries allow bettors to select their own numbers and may add extra symbols or letters. Some states use multiple methods of determining winners, while others randomly select one or more winners.

Lottery prizes can range from relatively modest amounts to enormous sums. In general, super-sized jackpots attract more bettors by increasing the odds of winning and generating free publicity on news sites and broadcasts.