lottery
noun
uk/ˈlɒtəri/ usplural lotteries [ C ]
a game of chance, often organized by the government to raise money, in which people win cash if they have bought a winning ticket:
The council applied for a £40m grant from the national lottery to redevelop local facilities.
lottery ticket/jackpot/winner Last night's national lottery jackpot of €2.8m was won by two lucky ticket-holders.
lottery funding/money/revenue The state is expected to have $15.6 billion in general fund and lottery revenues for the two-year budget period.
[ S ]
something that is affected by luck rather than being controlled by a fair process:
With interest rates rising, some people feel that the property market is a bit of a lottery at the moment.