Official lottery is a game of chance in which numbers are drawn to win a prize. It is legal and regulated by government at the national and state levels. It may also be operated by private corporations in a variety of ways. It is a form of gambling and has many parallels to other forms of gaming, such as playing card games or sports betting.

The first recorded lotteries were in the Low Countries in the 15th century. These raised money for town fortifications, the poor, and a variety of public uses. It was an era of rapid expansion for states, so it was not surprising that they saw lotteries as a new, painless way to raise revenue.

In addition, they wanted to send a message that they are not trying to force people to gamble. They are merely capturing the inevitable gambling habits of some people. The official lottery message is that you should feel good about playing, because it does benefit the state, even if your ticket doesn’t win.

However, if you look at how much is actually collected by the lottery, it’s only a small drop in the bucket of total state revenue. And it doesn’t seem to benefit certain groups of people more than others. Ultimately, it seems that there are more than enough reasons to question the legitimacy of state-run lotteries. There are better ways to make money for states than encouraging people to gamble.