The lottery is one of the most popular games of chance, and hundreds of millions of people all around the world play it regularly. You don’t need any particular skill to understand it, and it is quite straightforward. A player just needs to pick several numbers in a specific range and hope that all of them will be drawn. On the other hand, the odds of winning a lottery jackpot are enormous, and very few people can actually hit vast returns. But why is this game so popular among all generations? Let’s dip into this topic and find out more about this exciting game.
What are the lotteries?
The lottery is one of the simplest forms of gambling, which includes drawing random numbers from a specified range for a prize. Depending on the lottery format, the rewards can be in cash or goods. In case the awards are fixed, that might be risky for the operator if an insufficient number of tickets is sold. Therefore, most of the operators apply the “50-50” model, which guarantees a prize pool that is 50% of the revenue.
You may be surprised, but the lottery draws roots from China, as the first form of this game took place between 205 and 187 BC. It is believed that lotteries have helped the government’s projects, such as the Great Wall of China. The first forms of lottery in Europe took place in the Roman Empire, and they were one of the most prominent amusements during dinner parties. Every guest would get a ticket, and every ticket holder would get a prize in the form of fancy dinnerware. However, the roman Emperor Augustus Caesar organized the lottery that includes tickets sale, and the revenue was used for repairing the City of Rome.
The first records of lottery that we know nowadays come from the 15th century, and it was held in the towns of Ghent, Utrecht, and Bruges. France and England followed in the 16th century, while the first lottery games in the US took place in the 1600s.
Modern lottery in the biggest countries
Lots of forms of gambling are banned in Japan, however, there are several exceptions. The lottery is one of the gambling activities that are allowed, and it is trendy in this country. If you are about to try out your luck on the lottery in Japan, you can choose from the unique numbers, the selected numbers, and scratch games. The ticket prices vary from 100 to 500 yen, while the jackpot on certain games may go to 100 million yen or more! When it comes to different providers, Lottoland is the preferred provider of online lottery in Japan, according to this source.
The UK people also love lotteries, and there are numbers to prove this. Almost three-quarters of the population that is 18 years old or more, or to be more precise 70%, do the lotteries at least once a month. It is around 45 million people, and men and women equally participate in these games. The National Lottery regulates the total of six lottery games, and about 53% of the revenue goes to the prize pool. The highest jackpot hit a bit more than £170 million, and more than 90% of winners keep buying lottery tickets.
When it comes to the lottery in the USA, 48 jurisdictions run these games, and they independently regulate the laws. However, there are two particular games, Powerballs and Mega Millions, that takes place in nearly all jurisdictions, and that can be considered as the national lottery. More than half of the population plays lottery games at least once a year. Unlike the people from the UK, men tend to buy more tickets in the USA rather than women. The ones between 30 and 64 years old see lotteries as one of the most entertaining games.
One of the most famous lottery games in the world is Spain’s El Gordo. It basts the most giant prize pool that reaches more than 2.5 billion Euros! Many people cannot resist this game, especially since the tickets are available for online purchase. However, the drawings are not frequent and take place each Christmas season.
Final thoughts
The people have always been dreaming of hitting a huge jackpot and get rich overnight. Although it is, for many of them, just a fantasy, quite a few people were so lucky to become millionaires. Lotteries are so famous because you don’t need any skill to win big. It’s just about choosing the right numbers, and if you are lucky enough, you may get a life-changing prize without spending a lot of money. Lotteries are so exciting and fun that they will always remain popular.
