A lottery is a game in which numbers or symbols are drawn at random to determine winners. Lotteries may be conducted by private or public organizations and are popular in many countries around the world. Some governments outlaw them, while others endorse them and organize state-wide or national lotteries. The drawing of lots to determine ownership or rights has been recorded in ancient documents and became common in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In the United States, state-sponsored lotteries were introduced in 1967, and by 2002 thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia offered them. The profits from these lotteries are used to fund state programs. In most cases lottery tickets may be purchased by any adult physically present in the state where the lottery is operated, and sales from the lottery are regulated by state law.
In the story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, a man, Mr. Summers, carries out a black wooden box and stirs the papers inside it. After he does so, the members of the community begin to draw. Each member of the community selects a number and is awarded prizes based on how many of their chosen numbers match a second set chosen in a random drawing. Prizes range from a free vacation to a new automobile. The most important theme in this short story is the irrationality of human behavior.
According to an online government information library, in colonial America, lotteries were often used to raise money for roads, wharves, and schools, even Harvard and Yale. Today, state lotteries are the most popular form of lottery and are a major source of income for many states.