A competition based on chance in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are given to those whose numbers are selected at random: often sponsored by a state or organization as a means of raising funds. Also called chance selection, drawing of lots, and sweepstakes.
The first requirement of any lottery is that all bettors must pay something, normally a small amount of money. Next, the bettor must deposit the ticket or tokens into some pool for shuffling and subsequent selection in the drawing. A percentage of the total pool must be set aside for costs and profits, and a smaller portion, generally, is reserved for the winners. Some of the remainder is earmarked for future drawing, and a decision must be made whether to offer a few large prizes or many smaller ones.
In general, the odds of winning a lottery prize are slim, because chance and luck play a major role. However, in many cases, players believe that the chances of winning are higher than they really are. The lure of becoming instantly rich is often too much for some people to resist.
The word lottery comes from the Middle Dutch word lot, which is derived from the root word for “selection by lots,” and in turn, the Latin word for lot, meaning “fate.” The ancient Romans held a similar competition called a militum, or military draft, in which people were selected at random to serve as soldiers. The founding fathers of the United States endorsed gambling and used lotteries to raise money for public buildings, including Columbia University.
