Lotteries make their money largely by selling tickets to people who like to gamble. But the money they raise isn’t just for fun: It’s a way to finance a variety of state programs. Lottery money has also helped many people buy homes, go to college, and get medical care.

Retailers have a lot of incentives to sell lottery tickets. State-specific compensation and benefits vary, but they include a flat sales commission, a percentage of ticket sales, and other bonuses. These rewards are intended to counteract the high costs of running a lottery program, which can be significant. Retailers need to know what they’re getting into when considering whether to sell lottery products.

Generally speaking, when you’re buying a lottery ticket you pick the numbers you want to play on by marking them in a grid on an official lottery playslip. Once you’ve made your bet, give the playslip back to the retailer.

Some states have Keno games that are part of their official lottery, while others offer it separately or in casinos and gambling houses. It is a game that resembles traditional lotto-style gambling and involves picking from 1-20 numbers between 1 and 80. The more numbers you pick, the higher your chances of winning, though each additional number you choose will cost you more money.

Super-sized jackpots drive lottery sales, and they earn the games a windfall of free publicity on news sites and broadcasts. But these jackpots are not necessarily more enticing to players than smaller prizes. No set of numbers is luckier than any other.