An official lottery is a public or private scheme to raise money through the sale of tickets. They are widely used in Europe and the United States, particularly for large jackpots or to promote political causes, but they are also criticized as an abuse of power by some governments.

The earliest lotteries appeared in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders, as towns sought to fund military defenses or other projects. These were often conducted for private profit, but the first publicly organized lottery was held in Genoa, Italy, in 1476.

They have grown in popularity since then, but many are controversial. Critics say they impose a disproportionate burden on the poor, especially those who play the games at low-income levels.

Some states use the proceeds from their state lotteries to pay for K-12 or college education, and some have even used the money to finance roads and park maintenance. But research from the Howard Center suggests that the promises of state lotteries to fund education often fail to live up to expectations.

A lottery is a drawing that uses random numbers to select winners, usually a group of people. The drawings are conducted by a computer system, or manually by a human operator.

The winning number(s) may be printed on a counterfoil, which is then flipped over to reveal a prize amount or the identity of the winner. In the United States, a computer-generated draw is common for larger games such as Powerball and Mega Millions.