Lottery is a form of gambling where people buy tickets and prizes are chosen by chance. Its use dates back to ancient times, and is recorded in the Bible as well as by Roman emperors for public building projects and even giving away slaves. The practice is now widespread, and governments regulate it to ensure that winners are fairly chosen and not merely picked because of their wealth or connections.
When a state adopts a lottery, it legislates a monopoly for itself and creates a state agency or public corporation to run the lot (as opposed to licensing private firms in exchange for a portion of proceeds). The lottery typically begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games, but as revenues grow it expands the program to include new games. Throughout the process, the lottery officials face constant pressure to maintain or increase revenues and are often reluctant to cut expenses.
Moreover, when lotteries are introduced, the public tends to believe that they are a good thing because they provide revenue for a particular public purpose, such as education. Research shows that these arguments are effective in gaining initial public support, but that they fail to hold up over time. Lottery revenues quickly expand, then level off and eventually decline. Adding new games, and using them to lure consumers who have grown tired of existing games, is key to maintaining revenue levels. Nevertheless, even when lotteries are popular, they remain an expensive form of public revenue.