A lottery is a form of gambling which is present in United States of America as well as in Europe. It's guided through the government and that is the reason why some countries do not have such a form of gambling because the government outlawed it, while in other countries it became a national trusted lottery dealer.

Prior to the World War II this type of gambling was illegal, but in 1960 casinos and lotteries began to appear in USA and Europe and they were used as a means to raise revenue in addition to taxes.

Sometimes the lottery is described as a regressive tax. It really is referred to as a "tax on stupidity" due to the minimal chances to win the big prize. Even when it really is used to describe this form of gambling, the word "tax" isn't strictly correct because these descriptions are used to make people know that these games are government-sanctioned operations and they attract only people who don't understand that buying a lottery ticket is a simple economic decision.