History of Lotto
Lotteries have been a source of entertainment for thousands of years, the earliest traces having been found among the Pharaohs of Egypt. It is believed that Keno is more than 3,000 years old and was first played in China to fund the building of the Great Wall.
The game has evolved over the years and in today's version of lottery players select up to 10 numbers from a pool of 80 and attempt to match their selected set against 20 randomly-selected numbers.
The first lottery with prize money was conducted in Florence, Italy in 1530 with England following in 1569. By 1612 lotteries had reached the shores of America. The Virginia Lottery funded half of Jamestown's budget and the funds derived from lottery were used to fight the adversities plaguing early Virginia, such as disease, fire, and famine.
U.S. lotteries in yester years also helped fund the Colonial Army in the Revolutionary War by providing arms and uniforms. Even after the war was over, the money was used to salvage and repair the damage left behind.
The first state operated lottery was started hundreds of years later by New Hampshire in 1964. Today more than 35 states have lotteries and are a crucial part of the state’s revenue. They contribute to many programs including elderly care, education and economic development.
Although several other games have earned huge popularity in the US, the lottery remains an all-time favourite. In the four decades since the introduction of the New Hampshire Sweepstakes, lotteries have grown to serve more than 210 million Americans – which is roughly about 80% of the nation's population.
