Lottery
A lottery is an event in which one or more prizes are awarded by a process that relies wholly on chance. It is a common means of raising funds.
The first recorded lotteries with prizes in the form of money were held in various towns of the Low Countries in the 15th century. A record dated 9 May 1445 at L’Ecluse in what is now Belgium lists 4,304 tickets and prize money of 1737 florins (worth about US$170,000 in 2014).
In the United States, state-sponsored lotteries became widespread during the 1960s. The earliest was the lottery in New York, which was introduced in 1967 and grossed $53.6 million its first year. In addition, twelve other states established their own lotteries during the 1970s: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Lottery profits in each state are distributed to different beneficiaries, ranging from the education of children to the maintenance of public roads. The highest percentage of lottery revenues goes to education in New York, followed by California and New Jersey.
If you win a big lottery prize, it’s important to keep your winnings in a safe place. It can be tempting to give your prize money to family and friends, but you should protect your assets by setting up a trust to receive your winnings and to avoid sharing them with anyone.
It’s also a good idea to use your winnings for retirement or college tuition instead of buying tickets. A single $1 or $2 purchase of a lottery ticket can add up to thousands in foregone savings, especially if it becomes a habit.