Lottery is a competition based on chance, in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are awarded to the holders of numbers drawn at random. The term also refers to the action of participating in or running a lottery.
It was a customary practice among the earliest American colonies to hold a lottery every year, a practice intended to ensure a good harvest. According to an old saying, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”
At the outset of the Revolutionary War, George Washington held a lottery to raise funds for cannons and other military equipment. Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to help the Philadelphia militia buy land, and a rare ticket bearing his signature is worth thousands of dollars today.
In the 1960s, state-run lotteries began to reappear, especially in states with larger social safety nets that needed extra revenue without raising taxes. A lot of the money from these games goes toward services like public schools, parks, and veterans programs — or it’s deposited into the general fund to cover other expenses.
Whether you’re playing in a physical or virtual form, the odds of winning are incredibly low. But you should still consider your choices carefully, and if you win, make sure to assemble a team of experts to help you manage your newfound wealth, including an attorney for estate planning, an accountant to handle tax liabilities and a financial planner to help you weigh the pros and cons of taking your winnings as annuity or a lump sum.