Lottery is a game in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are awarded to the winners, usually on the basis of chance. In a state lottery, the prizes are used to fund public projects. State governments typically run lotteries, but private organizations also hold them.<\/p>\n
In the Low Countries, where gambling first became widespread, lotteries were a common way to raise funds for town fortifications and to help the poor. By the 17th century, lottery games were so popular that they were viewed as a “painless” form of taxation.<\/p>\n
Lotteries are now a familiar feature of American life, with Americans spending an estimated $100 billion each year on tickets. But a look back at the rocky history of these popular government-sponsored games shows that they have had a long and winding journey to their current prominence.<\/p>\n
In colonial America, lotteries accounted for a substantial share of public funding, from paving streets to building churches and wharves. Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to help finance the city’s defense against marauding French forces, and John Hancock ran one to build Boston’s Faneuil Hall. George Washington sponsored a lottery to build a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it failed to earn enough money for the project.<\/p>\n
Today’s state lotteries are thriving, with Americans spending an estimated $100 billion each<\/n><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"