Friday Factoids: The Lottery

May 9, 2008

This weeks Friday Factoids are focusing on the history of lotteries and some interesting facts about some winners.

• Lotteries can trace their roots back to the Han Dynasty sometime between 205 and 187 B.C. where Keno got its origins.  Proceeds from Chinese lotteries like this went to finance the Great Wall.
• The first appearance of a lottery like we see today, tickets being sold and cash being the reward, were in the mid-15th century in France, Belgium, and Holland who used the proceeds to increase fortification for local towns against attackers.
• As was discussed in an earlier Friday Factoids, you have a better chance of being struck and killed by lightening than you do of winning the lottery.  Powerball: 1 in 80,089,128 Mega Millions: 1 in 76,275,360
• In order to fund the American Revolution, may towns ran lotteries to raise money for troops and supplies.
• Top Prizes:
• $390m - Mega Millions on 6 March 2007 (World’s largest jackpot)
• $365m - Powerball on 18 February 2006
• €180m - EuroMillions on 3 February 2006
• Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Wyoming have no state run lotteries at all.
• Looks like miracles do come true for some, a Katrina victim who lost two houses claimed a $97m winning Powerball ticket becoming Louisiana’s largest lottery winner.

Posted in Factoids