Lottery jackpot refers to the prize money awarded for winning a lottery game or other form of gambling. It can be a fixed amount of cash, or it may be a percentage of the total ticket sales for a particular game. Lottery jackpots are commonly used to attract players and lure them into purchasing tickets.

When someone wins the lottery, they must decide how to receive their prize. Most lotteries offer winners a choice of either an annuity payout or a lump sum payment. An annuity payment distributes the prize over 30 years, while a lump sum is a one-time distribution. An estimated value is provided for both options to help winners estimate their federal and state taxes.

For most people, winning the lottery is a dream come true. But not everyone can handle sudden wealth and many windfalls are squandered, leaving the winner in worse financial straits than before. One example is Billie Bob Harrell Jr, a Texas lottery winner who squandered his $31 million jackpot and ultimately lost it all.

To avoid such pitfalls, lottery winners are advised to put together a team of professionals that includes an attorney, accountant and financial planner to assist them in making sound decisions. They should also consider whether they want to be publicly identified, since in most states the names of lottery winners are public information. However, in Colorado, New York, Vermont, South Dakota and Wisconsin lottery winners can remain anonymous if they win more than $100,000.