The History Of Lotto

It has always been a game of chance. But when part of the profit made is used to finance good causes and pay for lottery administration fees, you can see why this system works so well.

However, it has a history that goes back a very long time indeed. Many ancient documents tell of lots being drawn to determine ownership or other passages of rights. We have all heard the expression “drawing the short straw” where the unlucky loser who draws the concealed straw that is shorter than the others, would have submit to doing some dirty but necessary deed.

The practice of lottery draws became common in Europe during the late 15th century. Even in the early pioneering days of the United States, King James I, of England, commissioned a lottery to help fund the development of Jamestown, Virginia.
Money raised through lotteries in many British settlements in the States was generated through lotteries. It financed wars, development, colleges, horse paths and several public projects.

It was not always in the north where these lotteries benefited the newly developed states of North America. The Deep South relied heavily on lotteries to provide and raise cash following the financially embattled times of the Civil War. The Louisiana Lottery, naturally, became a very popular pastime. It was not only in Louisiana where this lottery was played but throughout the southern states too. But the lottery and its materials almost came to an abrupt end.
In 1890, Congress banned all mail that contained anything to do with the lottery. Four years after the decree the Louisiana Lottery met its fate and was subsequently abolished.

No lottery tickets were permitted to cross state lines. The general public also learned the lottery was being operated partly by crime syndicates in the north, further damaging its legitimacy. Widespread fraud and deception was being linked with the lottery and public opinion naturally fell out of favour with the whole idea. By 1899, lotteries were outlawed across the States.

However, the negative attitudes surrounding the lottery would change. The Prohibition Law (1920-1933) was far from a success and when Nevada permitted casino gambling in Las Vegas, gambling and lotteries became more positive in the public sentiment.

The National Lottery was introduced in Britain in 1994 amid a wave of mass public interest. The first ever draw attracted millions of people who watched every number drawn with great anticipation.