|
<<HOMETable of Contents 1. Introduction2. A Brief History of the Lottery3. Lotteries Around The World4. How to Win Lotto5. Conclusion6. Resource Guide7. Glossary of Lottery Terms
|
2. A Brief History of the LotteryLike any part of history, there is some debate about just when lotteries first entered the picture. However, the Bible does make a reference to a form of lottery and there is some evidence of lotto playing as early as 100-44 B. C. In 1530, an Italian lottery was held in Florence that featured cash prizes. This is even where and when the word "lottery" itself was likely born. It was possibly sprung from the Italian word "lotto,” which means destiny or fate. Soon after--in 1567--the first English state lottery was established. Queen Elizabeth I began the lottery and offered cash, dishware, and tapestry prizes. About 400,000 tickets were sold. Even these early lotteries were used to support charitable causes. King James I created a London lottery in 1612 that aided the first American British colony--in Jamestown, Virginia. From 1790 to the Civil War many colleges, schools and churches were erected with lottery proceeds. Universities as notable as Harvard and Yale even obtained early funding through lotteries. But the authorities didn’t always see this positive aspect of lotto. In the 1800s laws prohibiting lotteries were enacted in the US and Canada because of corruption within the games and the “evil” nature of gambling. Despite this abhorrence, things changed in the next century as regulatory boards were created. New Hampshire was the first state to form a legal lottery in that century. Changes to the Criminal Code of Canada in 1969 legalized gambling, allowing provinces to operate both lotteries and casinos. Charitable and religious organizations were now able to carry out specified lottery schemes to raise funds. In 1976, lottery sales exceeded $1 billion for the first time. By 1999, The World Lottery Association boasted 63 member nations, putting a member on every continent except Antarctica. A West Virginia man won the biggest jackpot ever in 2002. Jack Whittaker decided to take a lump sum payment of more than $170 million instead of an annuity that would have awarded him $314.9 million over three decades. He purchased his winning ticket in Hurricane, West Virginia. The Internet has also altered the way lotteries are played. Winning numbers can now be found online around the world, 24 hours a day. Some games can even be played on-line. Recently, the first African national online lottery game (Lotto Nigeria) was launched. With this latest news development, Nigeria joins more than 100 online global lottery operations the world. No more gathering around the TV or radio clutching that ticket, and waiting to hear your numbers called! Lotteries have also become an important source of charity revenue. Today, lotteries fund everything from education to senior citizen clubs. Lotto has sure come a long way since Moses first used it to award land in the Old Testament! Now that you've learned a little about the background of lottery, let's look at some lottery myths... Myth #1: “You are more likely to be struck by lightning then to win the lottery.” Fact: The odds of winning the lottery are NOT worse than being struck by lightning! In 1996, 1,136 people won over $1,000,000 in North American lotteries. Lightning killed only 91 people. Myth #2: “Only poor people play the lottery.” Fact: “Poor” people are NOT the major purchasers of lottery tickets. A 1999 poll on gambling showed that people with yearly incomes of $45,000 to $75,000 was more frequent players than those with incomes under $25,000.
|
|
(c) e-Tutorials.org/BB Publishing. All rights reserved worldwide. |
Disclaimer | Earnings Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Contact, Question,
Suggestion: