The lottery is a process in which a random selection is made to fill an available position, for example a vacant job, sports team or university placement. It is a form of decision making that can also be used in other situations where the choice is between equally competing options. The process is based on giving a fair chance to everyone involved in the situation. This type of decision making is often used in situations where resources are limited.

It’s tempting to see lottery as just another form of gambling, and to some extent that’s true, but it does more than that. Lottery offers the promise of instant riches in an era of inequality and limited social mobility. It lures people with its billboards and promises of big jackpots, and the hope that maybe this time they’ll win.

In the 17th century, people in the Low Countries started public lotteries to raise money for town walls and fortifications and to help the poor. These early lotteries are documented in town records in Ghent, Bruges, and Utrecht. In the US, lotteries became popular in the immediate post-World War II period when states were trying to expand their array of services without raising taxes on the middle class and working classes.

In fiscal year 2006, state lottery profits allocated to different programs topped $234.1 billion. To learn more about how lottery funds are distributed, visit Where Lottery Money Goes: A State-by-State Guide.