The Ancient Greeks didn’t organize lottery for citizens.

There’s evidence that shows that lotteries were popular in Ancient Rome. The first ones to play these games were the members of the elite. They organized dinner parties where visitors could participate in special draws. The lucky winners received gifts from the host. Many believe that these lotteries had a high chance of being rigged, so the prizes go to the influential guests or someone close to the hosts!

The citizens of Rome could participate in lotteries during the rule of Cesar Augustus. Octavian used loot won from the wars as prizes for the lottery. A portion of the money acquired this way was reinvested to rebuild and expand Rome.

Middle Ages

Middle Ages

Although lotteries were played from before Christ, it was in the Middle Ages when this term was first used. According to the reports, online kbc head office whatsapp number the word “lot” was coined by the Dutch and Belgians in the 15th century. The news about this new “game” spread quickly to other European countries.

Venice, Rome, and Florence were among the cities that started organizing lotteries. The governments saw this as a simple method of collecting money to fund road building and other public projects. Some lot-based games were even schemes organized by individuals. The rewards varied from cash to properties and merchandise like jewels and carpets.

It was Queen Elizabeth who first organized a national lottery in 1569. She had the same idea of collecting money for the “interest of the public.” A single ticket for the Queen’s lottery cost ten shillings, which were expensive. The prizes included linens, tapestries, plates, and cash. There were 10,000 rewards distributed, and the Queen picked the winning balls herself!

Early Lotteries

EarlyLotteries

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