Lottery is a form of gambling that involves drawing numbers to determine a prize. Many governments regulate lotteries and limit the number of winners. The prize money can range from cash to goods or services. A lottery is usually held by a state government, but may also be organized by a private company for promotional purposes. The term is derived from the Latin word “loteria,” meaning drawing lots. The first recorded public lotteries took place in the Low Countries in the 15th century to raise funds for town fortifications. In colonial America, lotteries were used to build roads and libraries, and to fund churches, colleges, canals, bridges and canal locks. In 1776, the Continental Congress voted to establish a lottery to raise funds for the American Revolution. Private lotteries were popular as well, and played a role in the financing of many public ventures including Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University and King’s College (now Columbia).

The most common modern form of a lottery is a game in which numbered tickets are sold for a chance to win a prize, such as money or goods. Some states have a fixed amount of prize money for each draw, while others guarantee a percentage of total receipts. The simplest form of this game is a single-entry lottery, in which all entries are entered into the same drawing. In other types of lotteries, entries are separated into groups or divisions and then drawn at random. The number of tickets purchased determines the odds of winning.

In the United States, most state lotteries have a prize that ranges from cash to a house or car. Some lotteries have multiple drawings per week, while others only hold one. Ticket sales determine the size of the prize, and some states set a minimum jackpot or maximum prize to attract players. Lottery games are popular because the prizes are very high and people enjoy the thrill of playing for a big payout.

State lotteries are a booming industry, and Americans spend more than $100 billion each year on tickets. But, despite their popularity, many people are not aware of how the money raised by state lotteries is allocated. The vast majority of lottery funds goes toward education, and each state decides how to allocate those funds among public schools in their jurisdiction. The state controller’s office disperses the proceeds to local school districts based on Average Daily Attendance for K-12 and community colleges and full-time enrollment for higher education and other specialized institutions. Each county’s percentage share is reflected in the map below.