paying to be part of a raffle is called lottery

Exactly. I don't know why so many artists who have a patreon that do that call it 'free art'. I know if I say anything about it on any of the thousands of submissions where people say that, there will be many white knights jumping down my throat.

I am not a fan of Patreon by any means. But I imagine the thought goes like this:

"You're paying to support my art. It's like donating money because you appreciate the work I do. And then you also have a chance to win something for free, because you're supporting my work in general."

The only way it might be free is by a technicality.

To me these people don't really count as artists.
As an artist, you do art to express yourself, you might say for it's own sake.
When you go like 'become my patreon and you'll get access to exclusive art' or offer paid commissions, they are merely illustrators.
Very skilled illustrators in many cases, who have every right to make money with their talents, I should add.
However, stuff on FA becoming more and more commercialized has always bothered me.
And white knight super fanboys 'n girls are also a pain in the ass that prevent honest discussions about skills and styles.