History of Lottery in Timeline

A lottery is a gambling system where numbers are randomly drawn for prizes. Governments either outlaw or endorse lotteries, often regulating them by prohibiting sales to minors and licensing vendors. Common in the 19th century, lotteries became largely illegal in the U.S. and Europe by the 20th century. They re-emerged in the 1960s globally as governments sought revenue without increasing taxes.

1916: Australian government starts lottery

In 1916, the Australian government initiated the 'Golden Casket Art Union' lottery to generate funds for charitable causes and various projects, with the inaugural draw specifically aimed at supporting veterans of World War One.

1917: Lottery organized by the British government

In 1917, a lottery was organised in Thailand (then known as Siam) by the British government with Thai consent to help finance Britain's war effort.

1933: Reintroduction of a national lottery

In 1933, a national lottery was reintroduced.

1933: Regularization of lotteries in Thailand

In 1933, lotteries in Thailand were regularized under the finance department, becoming a consistent practice.

1934: First modern government-run US lottery established in Puerto Rico

In 1934, the first modern government-run US lottery was established in Puerto Rico.

1964: Lottery established in New Hampshire

In 1964, New Hampshire followed Puerto Rico and established a state lottery.

1967: Kerala State Government started their lottery department

In 1967, following a nationwide ban on private lotteries, the Kerala State Government initiated its lottery department, becoming a leader in Indian lotteries.

1969: Incorporation of Malaysian lottery company

In 1969, a Malaysian lottery company was founded and incorporated by the Malaysian Government, focusing on the commercialisation of 4-Digits–based games.

1969: Lottery industry start operated in Malaysia

In early 1969, the lottery industry began operating in Malaysia through the Berjaya Group, establishing Sports Toto Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

December 1970: Veikkaus began selling lottery tickets

In December 1970, Veikkaus started selling lottery tickets in Finland.

January 3, 1971: First televised lottery draw in Finland

On January 3, 1971, the first lottery draw was televised in Finland, marking a significant milestone in the lottery's history.

January 1971: First lottery draw in Finland

In January 1971, the first lottery draw in Finland took place.

1980: Change in number selection in Finnish lottery

In 1980, the Finnish lottery changed the number selection process from six numbers between 1 and 40 to seven numbers between 1 and 40.

1980: Pennsylvania Lottery scandal

In 1980, the Pennsylvania Lottery was compromised by fraudsters who weighted balls in The Daily Number, leading to a lottery scandal.

August 1985: Privatization of Malaysian lottery company

On August 1, 1985, the Malaysian government sold the state lottery company to businessman Vincent Tan in a non-tender privatization, who then merged it into his Berjaya Group.

1994: Establishment of the National Lottery in the UK

In 1994, the National Lottery was established in the United Kingdom as a state-franchised lottery sanctioned by the Gambling Commission.

2003: Tic-Tac-Toe tickets recalled by OLG

In 2003, Mohan Srivastava found non-random patterns in Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets, leading to the recall of the game, marking the first such incident for OLG.

2005: Gambling Act restrictions

In accordance with restrictions under the Gambling Act 2005, the maximum amount which can be won by a single ticket is £500,000, or 10% of the total draw proceeds.

2007: Sale of Washington's lottery ticket

In 2007, a rare lottery ticket bearing George Washington's signature was sold for about $15,000, highlighting its value as a collector's item.

January 3, 2011: 40th anniversary of the Finnish lottery

On January 3, 2011, the Finnish lottery celebrated its 40th anniversary, having been drawn 2,126 times by this point.

2011: Changes to profit categories in the Finnish lottery

In 2011, specifically round 41, the profit categories in the Finnish lottery were modified, changing the requirements for main and smallest victories.

2012: Spanish Christmas Lottery prize payout

In 2012, the Spanish Christmas Lottery had a potential total prize payout of €2.52 billion, with the 'El Gordo' first category prize totaling €720 million distributed among 180 winning tickets, each winning €4 million.

September 2013: End of Finnish lottery being televised on Yle TV1

On September 29, 2013, the Finnish lottery was televised on Yle TV1 for the last time.

October 2013: Postponement of Finnish lottery draws on MTV3

In October 2013, Finnish lottery draws were postponed on MTV3 due to concerns about the legality of sponsorship cooperation between Veikkaus and Yle.

2013: Reduction in Spanish Christmas Lottery tickets

In 2013, due to decreased demand, the number of available tickets for the Spanish Christmas Lottery was reduced from 180 million to 160 million, resulting in a lower potential maximum prize pool of €2.24 billion and a maximum potential 'El Gordo' prize of €720 million.

2014: Value of lottery prize money in 1445

In 2014, the total prize money from a lottery in 1445, amounting to 1737 florins, was worth about US$170,000.

2017: Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore

In the fiscal year 2017, Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore and state revenue of Rs 1,691 crore from lotteries.

2018: Ohio offers digital lottery option

In 2018, Ohio became one of the first states to offer a digital lottery option, developed by Linq3, allowing players to participate via their smartphones.

2018: Kerala collected state revenue of Rs 1,691 crore

In the fiscal year 2018, Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore and state revenue of Rs 1,691 crore from lotteries.

January 7, 2020: Largest single jackpot in Canadian lottery history

On January 7, 2020, a Lotto Max drawing resulted in the largest single jackpot in Canadian lottery history, with a prize of $70 million.

May 2022: The Welsh Valley That Won the Lottery documentary

In May 2022, the People's Postcode Lottery was featured in a Channel 4 documentary titled 'The Welsh Valley That Won the Lottery', focusing on the residents of Rhymney who won.

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November 2022: Powerball sets record for largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history

In November 2022, specifically the 8th of November, Powerball set a record for the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, with an estimated jackpot of US$2 billion.