Lottery is a form of gambling in which money or prizes are distributed among people who purchase chances, called tickets. The winners are chosen by drawing lots or some other means of selecting at random. The term is also applied to distributing other things – such as sports team memberships, or placements in schools or universities – among equally competing applicants.

Many people play the lottery, contributing billions to government receipts each year. Some do so for fun, while others believe that the lottery is their last or best chance to change their lives. But the odds are low and the risk-to-reward ratio is not in their favor. And even small purchases of tickets can add up to thousands of dollars in foregone savings.

The word lotteries comes from the Dutch nounlot meaning “fate” or “destiny.” The first state-sponsored lotteries were established in the Low Countries in the 15th century, and their popularity spread throughout Europe. The French word loterie dates from the 17th century, probably a calque of Middle Dutch lotinge “action of drawing lots.”

Although most people know that they are unlikely to win the big jackpot, they continue to play. This is partly due to the fact that super-sized jackpots are a very effective marketing strategy, earning the games free publicity on news sites and TV shows. But there’s something else going on here, too. The ugly underbelly is that people play the lottery because they simply like to gamble and have an inextricable desire to win.