The History of the Lottery

A lotto can be used for many reasons, from finding a housing unit or kindergarten place to winning big cash prizes. In the Bible, Moses allegedly divided land through lotteries to determine which tribes would inherit it. Ancient Roman emperors may have used lotteries to distribute property and slaves. The first lottery was reportedly invented in China, where the game was called “drawing of wood” or “drawing of lots.”

The first recorded lottery offered tickets for money prizes. The Low Countries embraced lotteries, as Moses instructed, to raise funds for the poor and for town fortifications. In Roman times, lotteries were often used to award property and slaves, and the practice lasted as late as the 16th century. The Dutch word lottery actually came from the word “lot,” which means “fate.” As a result, the modern concept of a lottery is centuries old.

The history of lottery draws varies depending on which country or region is conducting the draw. French lotteries date back to the 1500s, when Francis I introduced them in the city of Tours. The popularity of these lotteries continued until the seventeenth century, when Louis XIV won a top prize in a drawing. He later returned the winnings for redistribution. France banned the practice, though it reopened the Staatsloterij in 1933, and the Loterie Nationale was re-instituted after World War II.