Lottery online is the name given to a range of games, such as electronic scratch-off tickets or video lottery terminals, that can be played from a personal computer or mobile phone. These games are not to be confused with traditional lottery games, which require players to select numbers or symbols and wait for a winner. Instead, the prizes on offer are awarded to players who have bought tickets and have been chosen by a random selection process. Despite being considered illegal in many countries, these types of games are growing in popularity and have become a major revenue stream for gaming companies such as GTech Corporation and the state-owned Bulgarian Sports Totalizator.

The first lottery was conducted in France, in the mid-16th century. It was a public lottery for the city of Paris, known as the Loterie de la Ville de Paris, that was held once a month to award a prize to people who entered the draw. This was the forerunner of modern public lotteries. Private lotteries, based on gambling or religious or charitable goals, also existed in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In New Zealand, the government operates a national lottery through an autonomous Crown entity, Lotto New Zealand, which has four games: the Lotto (including Powerball and Strike), Keno, Instant Kiwi, and Bullseye. Profits from the Lottery are distributed by an independent statutory body, the Lottery Grants Board, to a number of community and sporting groups, including Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, and the New Zealand Film Commission.

In the United States, the lottery is a state-licensed game of chance, with proceeds used for public and educational purposes. Since the late 19th century, the lottery has raised billions of dollars for education, highways, parks, and medical research. In addition, some state governments run sports lotteries, and a few have legalized keno and video lottery terminals. The largest publicly-held lotteries are the American Powerball and Mega Millions, both of which have jackpots in the millions of dollars. Other lotteries have smaller prizes, such as a free vacation or a car. In the United States, a person can play in the Lottery by buying tickets at designated retailers or through an official Internet site. Currently, the vast majority of lottery revenues are derived from ticket sales. However, some state governments have also used their lottery profits to fund public school systems. In some cases, these lotteries are the only source of funding for these programs.