What is a Lottery?

lottery

A lottery is a type of gambling game where the winners win money or other prizes by selecting numbers and drawing them. Historically, it has been played for both personal and governmental purposes. It is a popular form of gambling and can be addictive. The first recorded lotteries offered prizes in the form of money and tickets were sold for various causes. In the Low Countries, different towns held public lotteries to raise funds for poor people and fortifications. However, some records suggest that lottery games are much older. For example, a record from L’Ecluse dated 9 May 1445 mentions a public lottery to raise funds for walls and fortifications. The prize money was listed as 1737 florins, or about US$170,000 today.

Posted in: Gambling