History of the Lottery

Lottery

Historically, lotteries have been used to raise money for a variety of public purposes, including roads, colleges, libraries, and canals. Many American colonies had lotteries, as did the United Kingdom. Some of the early colonial lotteries raised funds for the French and Indian War. In the 1740s, lotteries financed the University of Pennsylvania, the Columbia University, and the Princeton University.

In the United States, lotteries were common during the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to raise money for cannons for the Philadelphia defense. In 1758, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts raised money with a lottery for an “Expedition against Canada.”

A number of private lotteries were also held in the United States. The Roman emperors reportedly used lotteries to give away slaves, property, and land. In the 17th century, several Low Countries towns had public lotteries to raise money for fortifications, poor people, and other needs.

In colonial America, there were 200 lotteries between 1744 and 1776. Most of the winnings were paid out to the federal government, which took out 24 percent. The remaining money was distributed to the state or city governments.

Some lotteries are organized so that a percentage of the money generated is donated to good causes. For example, the National Basketball Association has a lottery to fund its draft picks. In 2007, a rare lottery ticket bearing the signature of George Washington sold for $15,000, making it a collector’s item.

The Chinese Book of Songs mentions the game of chance as “drawing of wood.” It is believed that the Chinese Han Dynasty had lottery slips that helped finance major government projects.