Lotteries are an important source of revenue for public services such as education and healthcare. These services are provided primarily by the state, although some local governments also operate a lottery. Private sector companies also sell lotteries. Until recently, the sale of lotteries was mostly limited to brick and mortar establishments, but today a number of private companies sell their products online. These companies are known as re-sellers and often work with a single major lotteries operator. They also sell tickets in brick and mortar stores on behalf of the major lotteries. In the United States, large portions of lottery revenues are used to fund public education systems. In other countries, such as Australia, lotteries are operated at a national level and include both state government-owned and private sector operators.

In the United States, the largest public lotteries are operated by state-licensed companies and are run through a network of licensed re-sellers. In addition to state-licensed operators, many private companies offer lotteries on the Internet. Some of these private lotteries focus on specific market sectors such as the arts, sports, travel, or technology. Others provide a variety of games, including instant scratch-offs, online sweepstakes, and keno.

The first modern European lotteries were created in the 17th century, with the French lotteries being regulated by a public authority (Loterie de L’Hotel de Ville). In 1823, the UK Parliament passed the Great Lottery Act, which established a centrally administered National Lottery and banned private lotteries. Private lotteries were not revived until the late 20th century, when they appeared in the form of online lotteries and televised games.

In Canada, state-sponsored lotteries are overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, a consortium of provincial and territorial lottery commissions owned by their respective governments. The five regional lottery corporations are Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories) and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (British Columbia). These lotteries offer popular games such as Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, and Daily Grand. A sixth nationwide game, the Health Lottery, is managed by the National Lottery Commission and launched in 2011.