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!