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Lotto Ticket
Lotto Ticket
Lottery tickets have a long and interesting history dating back to the Han Dynasty in China. Private lotteries were popular during the Roman Empire but lotteries as we know them today did not start until the mid 14th century in the Netherlands. In fact the Dutch Staatsloterij is the world’s oldest continually running lottery, dating all the way back to the 15th century. Since then lotteries have pretty much followed the same model; players purchase a lotto ticket in hopes of winning a large amount of money. Generally the lottery jackpot is the sum of all the money collected from lotto ticket sales minus operating expenses. If there is no winner the jackpot is usually rolled over until there is a winner which can create some pretty large jackpots.
At the present time there are 44 state lotteries operating in the US. States without lotteries include Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Most state lotto tickets are sold through a network of lottery retailers, typically convenience stores and gas stations. Players can usually buy a lotto ticket 24 hours a day except on draw nights. When purchasing a lotto ticket the player either selects his numbers or uses what is usually known as a ‘quick pick’ option where the numbers are selected by a random number generator. It is interesting to note that statistically most big winners used the quick pick option to select their numbers.
In Europe, Australia and New Zealand players may go online to purchase a lotto ticket. New Zealand has a sophisticated online lottery system and players can go to the Kiwi lottery website, establish an account and buy lotto tickets. In the event of a win the jackpot can be deposited directly into the players checking or savings account and all winners are notified by email. New Zealand is probably the only lottery website offering direct deposits. Large wins must still be collected in person. European lottery players can go to any official lottery website to purchase a lotto ticket.
In the US players cannot buy a lotto ticket online at state lottery websites. US players can purchase lottery tickets online through third party subscription services. These services purchase lotto tickets on behalf of players and hold the tickets until the actual lottery draw. If a player wins the lottery service will make arrangements for the ticket to be delivered to the player so the jackpot can be claimed in person as most state lotteries require. Players have a lot of options when purchasing a lotto ticket and rapidly advancing technology keeps making it easier and easier!
Lottery Ticket
Lottery Ticket
Lottery tickets have a long and storied history. The earliest known lottery tickets come from China as early as 205 BC. The earliest known lottery tickets from a public lottery are from the town of Sluis in the Netherlands circa 1434. Lotteries became very popular in the Netherlands and Belgium during the late middle ages. These lotteries were started to provide town fortifications and to help the poor. For the next three centuries lotteries were used to help the poor. In addition to implementing the first municipal and state sanctioned lotteries the Dutch were the first of sell lottery tickets for cash prizes. In fact the word lottery is derived from the Dutch word ‘loterij’ and the Dutch ‘Staatsloterij’ is the world’s oldest lottery and is still popular throughout the Netherlands.
In the English speaking world the first official lottery was implemented by Queen Elizabeth the 1st in 1569. One of the first settlements in America was financed by a lottery authorized by King James 1st to help establish the settlement at Jamestown. A large part of the American Revolution was funded through the sale of lottery tickets. At that time taxes were not considered an appropriate means of funding government projects. At the end of the war several states used lotteries to fund government functions and both Harvard and Princeton universities were funded by lotteries.
Lotteries fell out of favor in the US and were not revived until the 1960’s when New Hampshire started a state lottery and sold lottery tickets. Now almost every state in the US operates some sort of state lottery. In the 1990’s multi state lotteries such as Powerball and mega Millions were introduced. These mega jackpot lotteries were an immediate hit with lottery players throughout the US and have remained popular. Tickets are only $1 dollar and jackpots are commonly in the hundreds of millions.
Thanks to computer technology several lotteries now offer online lottery tickets. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand online lottery ticket sales have been well received by players. Players cite convenience and ease of purchase as the chief factors contributing to the success of online lottery ticket sales. The UK lottery website also sells tickets for EuroMillions and offers players several funding options. In the US two states are currently exploring the possibility of online lottery ticket sales. Confusing and vague federal regulations are currently the only obstacle to providing US players with online lottery tickets. Lottery tickets have certainly come a long way since the 14th century!