By adminzonk889 The lottery is a popular form of gambling where people purchase chances to win a prize, usually money. It is based on the principle that all outcomes have an equal chance of occurring. A winner is determined by drawing a number or symbols from a pool of tickets. Prizes may also be a combination of cash and goods or services. Lotteries are legal in most countries.
The first recorded public lotteries in the modern sense of the word appeared in the Low Countries in the 15th century, with towns raising money for town fortifications and to help the poor. Francis I of France reportedly learned about them in Italy and authorized the first French lottery.
In America, lotteries played a big role in the founding of the first colonies, and were used frequently during the Revolutionary War to fund various public projects. Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to raise money for cannons and George Washington sponsored a lottery in 1768 to build a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains, though this was unsuccessful.
Most states use lotteries to raise money for education and other state-level programs. State legislatures determine the percentage of lottery proceeds that go to each category of program. The remainder of lottery funds is divvied up between administrative and vendor costs, prizes and whatever else each state designates. In general, most states allocate about 50-60% of lottery proceeds to prizes, while the remaining portion goes toward expenses and taxes.