A lottery is a gambling game wherein people pay for a chance to win a prize. Most lotteries offer money as the prize, but some also award goods or services.
The first recorded lotteries in modern senses of the term were held in the 15th century, in Burgundy and Flanders. Towns used these to raise money for town fortifications and to help the poor. Francis I of France endorsed the concept after seeing it in Italy and subsequently started public lotteries across his kingdom.
A winner is chosen by drawing lots, and the person with the lucky numbers wins the prize money. Prizes can range from a fixed amount of cash to valuable goods or services. Some lotteries allow players to select their own numbers, a process known as instant tickets. Others assign a set of numbers, and a player wins the jackpot if all their selected numbers match those drawn. The prize money can be shared among multiple winners or split between the organizers and the participants, depending on the format of the lottery and the laws governing it.
While many people play the lottery as a form of entertainment, some take it to extremes. One such case involved a West Virginia construction worker named Jack Whittaker, who won the Powerball lottery in 2002. He then spent the prize money giving it to church groups, diner waitresses, strangers and even his local strip club. He ended up bankrupt in a few years, leaving behind a wife and children.