Beeing around for many ages lotteries are a known source of both entertainment and means of fund raising across the glob...
Lotteries have been around for many years and they are a primary source of entertainment for many people across the globe. The earliest traces of gambling have been found from the Pharaohs of Egypt. Keno-the popular lottery system is over 3000 years and it was originally played in China to fund the building of its Great Wall.
In 100 BC The Chinese used a lottery system to raise money for The Great Wall Of China for protecting the country from invasion. We also can find later references of lotteries being used by nations for achieve different objectives. In the middle of 1400 Europe has resorted to a lottery for paintings.
Belgium used lotteries for raising money for its buildings and canals. By 1500 lotteries became popular and were held regularly in Italy. There are many individuals who are of the view that lotto was derived from the Italian word lottery. The word “lotto” means fate and in this period Italy began to host lotteries to win.
Lottery has evolved over the years and in the present day context lottery players choose ten players from a pool of about 80 and make an attempt to match their selected sets against 20 numbers that are selected randomly. The first lottery with prize money dates back to 1530 in Florence Italy with England following suit in 1569.
By 1700’s lotteries entered America and they were used in colonies for raising money for financing the war, constructions and other things. The Netherlands also developed a lottery at this time that still is in existence today.
Lotteries later became a source of financing for many churches, universities and other public buildings in the USA. There were also a few banks constructed because of these lottery systems. Famous universities like Columbia and Harvard were made from lottery proceeds.
The lotteries of the USA in the past has helped fund the Colonial Army in the Revolutionary War by providing uniforms and arms. Even after the war this money was used for repair and salvage. The Virginia Lottery funded about one half of Jamestown budget and the funds derived from the lottery were deployed to fight adversities that plagued Virginia like fire, famine and disease.
The advent of the 1800’s witnessed a huge change when lotteries were banned in the USA with Canada making attempts to prohibit lotteries as well. This ban existed for some time and New Hampshire made a decision to begin a form of lottery known as sweepstakes related to horseracing so that they could avoid the lottery ban.
Today in the USA there are over 35 states that have lotteries and play a very significant part in the revenue of the state. The proceeds contribute to several programs like education, economic development and elderly care. There are also a number of other games that have earned immense popularity in the USA.
The lottery remains a hot favorite in the nation and ever since four decades introduction of the New Hampshire Sweepstakes lotteries have grown on to serve over 210 million Americans that is roughly about 80 percent of the nation’s population today.