lottery
Definition
A game of chance in which participants purchase tickets with numbers, and prizes are awarded to those whose numbers are randomly selected.
A system of distributing prizes or property by lot or chance, often organized by governments or charities to raise funds.
Informally, any situation involving low-probability high-reward outcomes, like 'the genetic lottery' for good looks.
Examples
He blew his entire paycheck on lottery tickets, convinced his birthday numbers were the golden combo—spoiler: they weren't.
Winning the lottery would solve all my problems, except maybe my habit of buying more lottery tickets to celebrate.
The office lottery pool hit a modest jackpot, enough for pizza Fridays but not quite the private jet fantasies.
She treated the lottery like a part-time job, tracking 'hot' numbers that were basically just her cat's paw prints.