In the United States, lotteries are state-sponsored games in which players pay a fee for a chance to win a prize. The prizes can range from money to goods or services. The prizes are determined by random selection of numbers. Lotteries can be played both online and at retail locations. Unlike most gambling activities, which involve playing for high amounts of money and often have severe consequences, lotteries are designed to be played by individuals with limited incomes. They can help to provide a needed source of revenue for states and local governments without imposing high taxes on the general population.

Although making decisions and determining fates by casting lots has a long history, the use of lotteries for material gain is more recent. During the Renaissance, Europeans began to use lottery-like arrangements to distribute property and other items for entertainment purposes, such as a popular dinner entertainment called the apophoreta. The casting of lots for distributing slaves and property was also a common feature of the Saturnalian feasts celebrated by Roman emperors.

Today, most states offer a variety of lottery games, including the most popular form, a six-number drawing that awards the winner a large sum of money. In addition, there are scratch-off tickets and other games with smaller prizes. The lottery industry has grown rapidly in the past several decades. In the early days, lotteries were akin to traditional raffles in which people purchased tickets for a future drawing. However, innovations in the 1970s gave rise to instant games and other innovations that have transformed the industry.