The first documented records of lotteries date back to the Han Dynasty, between 205 and 187 BC, and they are thought to have helped fund important government projects. The Chinese Book of Songs even mentions a game of chance called “drawing wood” or “drawing lots”.
Origins
The origins of lottery are not far off. Lottery games first appeared during the Han Dynasty in China, and the Book of Songs cites the game as helping fund major government projects. Modern China also uses a lottery as a legitimate way to select jury members. Players must pay a fee to enter the drawing. But the origins of lottery games go far beyond China. In addition to China, the lottery has been practiced in many other parts of the world.
Process of playing the lottery
Process of playing the lottery has two components. The first part is to purchase your lottery ticket. Once you purchase it, you will be able to express your desire to enter the pool. You will then receive a randomly-generated number and a unique code that will place it into one of the pools. You can also choose the size of the pool randomly or make the decision yourself. Each lottery has different pools, and each pool is closed prior to the drawing.
Odds of winning
The odds of winning the lottery are so insane that you’d be forgiven for losing your common sense if you were to try to claim the jackpot. With jackpots like eight million dollars for Mega Millions or nine million for Powerball, winning the lottery is about 35 times more unlikely than committing murder at the Grand Canyon. You’d also be twice as likely to have extra toes or fingers – those chances are about one in a thousand!
Annuities offered by lotteries
If you are lucky enough to win the lottery, you might want to consider purchasing an annuity to receive a portion of the winnings. Annuities are fixed immediate annuities held by lottery companies. If you win $100 million in the Powerball drawing, your lottery winnings will be split into 30 payments over 30 years. Each payment will be worth three percent of the prize amount. An annuity of this size is typically a much better deal than a lump sum.
Cost of playing the lottery
If you’re a serious lottery player, you probably have plenty of money. The average player spends $192 on Powerball tickets each year and an additional $460 on PowerPlay tickets. Adding PowerPlay tickets can cost as much as $6,000 a year. That’s a lot of money to spend on a game that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win the jackpot. Instead of allowing your money to go to waste, you should set a budget and stick to it.