A Brief History of the Lottery

The modern day state lottery as we know it in the U.S. is a relatively new concept – dating back to 1964 when New Hampshire became the first state to legalize it in 64 years.

However, lotteries and lucky number games have existed for thousands of years. Here's a look at how lottery games have evolved over time, all over the word.

• Early Keno Games, 205-187 B.C.
  
  Keno, a popular game based on lucky numbers, quite similar in concept to today's lotteries, may have helped fund major Chinese government projects, like the Great Wall of China. Keno slips from the time can be dated back to the Chinese Han Dynasty from around 200-100 B.C.
• Roman Empire
  
  The first known lotteries in Europe took place mostly for amusement at Roman dinner parties. Guests with winning numbers could claim prizes such as dinnerware from the party host. On a larger scale, it is also believed that Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar helped organize public lotteries to raise funds for city repairs.
• England, 1500s – 1800s
  
  The earliest recorded official lottery in England was organized in 1566 by Queen Elizabeth I. The money raised from ticket sales was used to help fund public works projects and other initiatives. However, every ticket holder won a prize, and the total value of the prizes was no different from the actual funds raised. Therefore, the tickets were more like a loan to the government for a period of 3 years. Private lotteries were very common until they were largely banned in 1826.
• America, 1600s 1900s
  
  -    In 1612, King James I approved an official lottery in the first permanent English colony at Jamestown, Virginia.
  -    Over 200 lotteries are recorded to have been sanctioned between 1844 and 1776, largely used to fund construction projects like schools, roads, libraries and bridges.
  -    After the Revolutionary War, it become very common for states to organize lotteries for the purpose of funding government projects.
  -    By the 1800s, rising scandals and financial mismanagement led to the eventual complete ban of lotteries in 1900.
  -    Lotteries resurfaced again in the U.S. in 1964, when New Hampshire become the first state to approve it since the 1900 ban.
• Today
  
  Lotteries today are highly popular all over the world. Mostly government run, lotteries can now be found in nearly every developed country across the globe.

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