Lottery is a system of allocating prizes to individuals in a way that relies entirely on chance. While many people buy tickets primarily for the entertainment value, others may have other reasons for playing a lottery such as curiosity, or the fantasy of becoming wealthy. These non-monetary considerations may be sufficiently great to offset the disutility of a monetary loss, and thus the purchase of a ticket could be a rational decision for them.
While some people who win large amounts of money in a lottery find themselves worse off than they were before, many others have found that winning the lottery is the key to fulfilling their dreams. Learn from the experience of a winner and discover how to develop your own pattern for success.
The history of lotteries can be traced back to ancient times, and the practice was common in many countries throughout Europe. The first recorded public lotteries were in the Low Countries in the 15th century, when town records show that towns used them to raise funds for a variety of purposes. They were also popular in colonial America, where they were a relatively painless form of taxation and played an important role in financing the development of roads, canals, bridges, schools, and colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, King’s College (now Columbia), William and Mary, Union, and Brown.
The State Controller’s Office determines the amount of Lottery proceeds that are allocated to each county for public education. To view the latest contribution amounts for a particular county, click or tap a map or enter the county name in the search box above.