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I've heard that applying for the Green Card lottery is a huge red flag in the eyes of American embassy officials and should be avoided if one plans to visit the US in the future.

Is there any official confirmation for such rumors?

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The US Government doesn't publicly specify how it decides on a person's eligibility for a visa, hence there can be no "official" answer to your query.

In general, your local embassy will only know that you applied for the Green Card Lottery, if you are selected as those names are sent to the embassy, non-selected names that are not. But they do ask if you have previously applied. And so it is up to you to decide on how honest to be.

What an immigration lawyer told me (a neighbor) is that if your qualifications are solid for the visa, having applied for the lottery has little effect. But if you are borderline, then it becomes a bigger factor.

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    I'm quite certain the CBP knows about (all? some?) unsuccessful lottery applications since they once asked my nephew if he'd ever applied to be an immigrant and then reamed him out for saying 'no' because of a decade-old lottery entry. If the CBP knows I wouldn't count on a consulate not knowing.
    – user38879
    Commented Jul 29, 2017 at 17:28
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Having applied for the Green Card lottery and subsequently having successfully received a US tourist visa, I can say that a mere application does not affect your chances of obtaining a B1/B2 visa. The application form doesn't ask about lottery applications and neither was I asked about it at the consulate interview.

Therefore I presume this is mostly an unfounded myth.

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    I can say that a mere application does not affect your chances of obtaining a B1/B2 You concluded this based on one data point?
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Nov 5, 2018 at 18:34
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    I agree. Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that having applied for the lottery doesn't necessarily result in a refusal of a tourist visa?
    – Michael Hampton
    Commented Nov 5, 2018 at 18:46
  • @MichaelHampton there are likewise no data points for anyone getting refused over the lottery. Hence but default it's to be considered a myth.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Nov 5, 2018 at 20:20

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