A lottery is a game of chance in which winning tickets are selected through a random drawing. The prize money can be substantial—in the millions of dollars. Lotteries are commonly run by states and the federal government. They are also popular as a fundraising tool for non-profit organizations, and can be used to fund schools, wars, public-works projects, and even prisons.

In the early years of state-sponsored lotteries, the prizes were relatively small. By the mid-1970s, however, jackpot sizes had begun to increase dramatically. These super-sized prize amounts fueled lottery sales, while earning free publicity on newscasts and online.

Lotteries are often marketed as painless ways for governments to raise revenue for public works projects and other purposes without raising taxes. As a result, they attract broad support from voters, and are widely embraced by politicians seeking to boost their own popularity.

For many people, buying a ticket is an acceptable risk because of the potential entertainment value (and other non-monetary benefits) that might accrue. But for others, the ticket purchase represents an unavoidable loss in utility. They give up their own money, which could have gone to something more useful, and contribute billions to government receipts they might otherwise be saving for retirement or college tuition.

If you’re planning to play the lottery, you should be aware of the potential pitfalls. It’s important to choose your numbers wisely and avoid a pattern of selecting numbers that end with the same digit. Harvard statistics professor Mark Glickman suggests steering clear of numbers that are popular based on significant dates, like birthdays. These numbers tend to be picked by hundreds of other players, reducing your chances of avoiding having to split the prize.