Lotteries are games of chance in which participants purchase a ticket and win a prize, often money or goods. They are a form of gambling and are generally regulated by law. Some are state-owned or operated, while others are privately owned and operated. Many are also connected to other forms of gambling, such as casino gaming. Lottery tickets may be purchased through a variety of channels, including retail stores, online, and by mail.
The history of lotteries dates back to the early 18th century. By the late 19th century, some countries had legalized them while others prohibited them. In the United States, for example, private lotteries were common. Several US patents were awarded to companies that developed new types of lotteries. In the 1960s, the government shifted its policy toward allowing state governments to operate lottery systems. Today, lottery revenue is used to fund public education.
Canada: Lottery games in Canada are run by provincial/territorial governments. The Interprovincial Lottery Corporation operates the country’s four nationwide lotteries: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, Daily Grand and Millionaire Life. In addition to its national lottery games, the IRLC operates a provincial gaming program with three of Canada’s four provinces: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland), Loto-Quebec (Quebec) and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario).
Laos: The communist government does not officially regulate gambling. However, it does have a state-owned lotteries company called Vietlott that runs the country’s lottery. Two winners shared a jackpot of more than VND314.1 billion ($12.4 million) in Thursday’s lottery drawing.
Liechtenstein: The lottery in Liechtenstein is a national lottery, and the largest in Europe. The winnings from the lottery are tax-free and the money goes to charitable projects and organizations domestically and internationally.
The Portland, Oregon-based Powerball winner is a 46-year-old Iu Mien immigrant named Cheng Saephan. His $1.3 billion payout—which he and his wife will split with a friend—changed his life. The lump-sum payment will raise awareness of his ethnic group, which migrated from China to Thailand and then to the United States after the Vietnam War. It will also help his family buy a house and a car, but not a vacation home or a yacht. They plan to move to a rural area near their current home in the city of Milwaukie, Oregon. They also will use the funds to invest in their small business and support charities. They are among more than a dozen people to win the Powerball jackpot in recent months.