A lottery is a type of gambling in which participants pay for the chance to win a prize. The prizes range from cash to goods or services. Most states have lotteries. Some lotteries are regulated by the state government, while others are not. State-run lotteries are a popular way to raise money for public works projects.

In the United States, there are 48 state-run lotteries. Two major multi-state games, Powerball and Mega Millions, serve as de facto national lotteries. In addition to the state-run lotteries, some private companies operate lotteries that offer larger jackpots than the state-run ones.

Until recently, the lottery was an important source of revenue for states. As Cohen explains, in the late twentieth century, as more and more states found themselves in budget crises, lotteries were a good way to increase spending without provoking a backlash from voters who opposed taxes. For many politicians, he adds, the lottery was “a kind of budgetary miracle,” allowing them to maintain services without raising taxes.

But there were and remain a number of critics of the lottery, who questioned both its ethics and how much money states really stood to gain from it. These critics hailed from across the political spectrum, and included devout Protestants who viewed government-sanctioned gambling as morally wrong. They were also skeptics about the ability of the lottery to replace tax revenue. They pointed out, for example, that even in a state like Ohio, where the lottery is wildly successful, residents continue to flock to other forms of gambling.