Lottery is a form of gambling in which a player pays a fee and tries to win a prize by matching numbers or symbols drawn at random. Its roots in ancient times go back to casting lots for decisions or as a form of divination. Today, most states offer a lottery in one form or another.

Lotteries were introduced to the United States by British colonists, and initial reaction was largely negative. Many people believed they were a hidden tax. However, with the onset of the Civil War and subsequent economic woes, state governments resorted to lotteries to raise money for schools, veteran’s health care and other projects without raising taxes. New Hampshire was the first to introduce a modern state lottery, and others quickly followed.

When talking to lottery players, one of the main themes is that they play because they enjoy gambling, and it’s a fun way to pass the time. This is true to some degree, but there’s much more going on here. Lotteries are creating generations of gamblers, and they’re dangling the promise of instant riches in an age of inequality and limited social mobility.

Almost every state that has introduced a lottery has followed a similar pattern in how it operates: It legislates a monopoly for itself; establishes a government agency or public corporation to run the lottery (as opposed to licensing a private firm in return for a share of profits); begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and, under pressure for additional revenues, progressively expands its game offerings.