The History of Lottery
Lottery is an activity whereby players randomly draw numbers. It is a form of gambling, and some governments outlaw or endorse it. Other governments organize state and national lotteries. There is some debate about the legitimacy of lotteries, and many people have a mixed feeling about them. Despite the controversy, many people enjoy the chance to win money.
Origins
Lottery games can be traced back to ancient times. It is thought that the ancient Greeks and Romans used the concept of drawing lots to determine the distribution of territory. From there, lotteries spread and became a popular way to raise funds.
Origins in colonial America
In colonial America, lotteries played a vital role in raising funds for public works projects. The first lottery, conducted in 1612, raised 29,000 pounds for the Virginia Company. Later, lotteries helped finance the construction of wharves and buildings at Yale and Harvard Universities. In 1768, George Washington sponsored a lottery to build a road over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Origins in the Low Countries
The origins of the lottery date back to the Low Countries, a region of medieval Europe characterized by corruption and mismanagement. Towns held public lotteries for various purposes, including to build fortifications and help the poor. Although there is no solid evidence for the first known lottery, some historians suggest that it took place as early as 1445. One record from L’Ecluse, France, mentions a lottery that was held in that town on 9 May 1445. The prize money at that time was the equivalent of US$170,000 today.
Origins in England
The origins of the English lottery are unknown, but the lottery was widely popular in the seventeenth century. It was used to help the poor and fund public projects. Later, it became an important taxation method. The word ‘lottery’ itself comes from the Dutch word ‘lot’, meaning chance. In fact, lotteries are an ancient form of gambling.
Origins in Australia
The lottery in Australia has a rich history that spans several decades. Initially introduced as private sweepstakes, the lottery has evolved and spread throughout the country. Its earliest forms began in the 1880s in Sydney. The Golden Casket Lottery was the first privately-run sweepstakes. Later, it spread to other states, including Queensland and Victoria. Today, lottery games in Australia are still popular.
Origins in New South Wales
The origins of lottery in New South Wales can be traced back over eighty years. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, New South Wales’ State Lottery was created to help fund state hospitals. At that time, unemployment was at all-time highs, the economy was in a slump, and money was scarce. Critics at the time, including some Church groups, condemned the lottery as evil and demoralizing.
Origins in Italy
The origins of lottery are tangled up in the history of the sixteenth-century Italian city of Florence. This is where the first Italian money-ticket lottery was believed to have taken place. Historian Alberto Fiorin has pointed to the diaries of the Venetian chronicler Marin Sanudo as an early source of information on the history of the lottery.