History of Lottery in Timeline

A lottery is a form of gambling where numbers are randomly drawn for a prize. Governments vary in their approach, with some outlawing lotteries and others organizing them nationally or at the state level. Governmental regulations typically include age restrictions and vendor licensing. Lotteries were common in the 19th century but largely became illegal by the early 20th century in many countries. They began to reappear in the 1960s as a way for governments to generate revenue without increasing taxes.

1916: Australian government started 'Golden Casket Art Union' lottery

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

1917: Lottery organized by the British government in 1917

In 1917, during the reign of King Rama V, the British government organized a lottery in Thailand (then known as Siam) with Thai consent to support Britain's war efforts.

1933: National lottery was reintroduced in 1933

In 1933, a national lottery was reintroduced.

1933: Lotteries became regularised under the finance department in 1933

In 1933, lotteries in Thailand became regularized under the finance department.

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

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

1964: New Hampshire established lottery in 1964

In 1964, New Hampshire established a lottery.

1967: Kerala State Government started their lottery department in 1967

In 1967, the Kerala State Government initiated its lottery department, following a nationwide prohibition on private lotteries in India.

1969: Sports Toto Malaysia founded and incorporated in 1969

In 1969, Sports Toto Malaysia was founded and incorporated by the Malaysian Government, initially focusing on commercializing 4-Digits-based games.

1969: Lottery industry started operated in Malaysia on early 1969

In early 1969, the lottery industry in Malaysia began operations through the Berjaya Group.

December 1970: Veikkaus began selling lottery tickets in Finland

In December 1970, Veikkaus started selling lottery tickets in Finland, marking the beginning of lottery operations in the country.

January 3, 1971: First lottery draw was televised on January 3, 1971

On January 3, 1971, the first lottery draw in Finland by Veikkaus was televised, marking the start of televised lottery events in the country.

1980: Pennsylvania Lottery scandal involved weighting balls in The Daily Number in 1980

In 1980, the Pennsylvania Lottery scandal involved weighting balls in The Daily Number.

1980: Lottery number changes to seven numbers between 1 and 40 in autumn 1980

In the autumn of 1980, the lottery in Finland changed its format from choosing six numbers between 1 and 40 to seven numbers between 1 and 40.

August 1985: Government sold Sports Toto Malaysia to Vincent Tan on August 1985

On August 1, 1985, the Malaysian government privatized Sports Toto Malaysia, selling it to businessman Vincent Tan, who merged it into his Berjaya Group.

1994: National Lottery established in the United Kingdom in 1994

In 1994, the National Lottery was established in the United Kingdom, sanctioned by the Gambling Commission (formerly the National Lottery Commission).

2003: OLG recalled "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets in 2003

In 2003, Mohan Srivastava discovered non-random patterns in "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets sold by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, leading to the recall of the game, making it the first ever recalled by the OLG.

2005: Gambling Act 2005 restricts People's Postcode Lottery

In 2005, the Gambling Act 2005 imposed restrictions on the People's Postcode Lottery, limiting the maximum win per ticket to £500,000 or 10% of total draw proceeds.

2007: George Washington's lottery ticket sold for $15,000

In 2007, a rare lottery ticket bearing George Washington's signature sold for approximately $15,000. This ticket was from Washington's Mountain Road Lottery in 1768, which was unsuccessful.

January 3, 2011: Lottery turned 40 on January 3, 2011

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

2011: Profit categories were changed from the 2011 round 41

From the 2011 round 41, the profit categories of the Finnish lottery were modified, altering the criteria for main and smallest victories.

2012: Spanish Christmas Lottery prizes worth €2.52 billion in 2012

In 2012, the Spanish Christmas Lottery, considered the biggest lottery worldwide, had a total prize payout of €2.52 billion if all tickets were sold, with the first category prize, El Gordo, totaling €720 million distributed among 180 winning tickets.

September 2013: Lottery was televised on Yle TV1 until September 29, 2013

From January 3, 1971, until September 29, 2013, the lottery in Finland was televised on Yle TV1 before changes were made.

October 2013: Lottery draws were postponed on MTV3 in October 2013

In October 2013, lottery draws in Finland were postponed on MTV3 after ten evening news due to sponsorship cooperation issues between Veikkaus and Yle, which was deemed illegal by FICORA.

2013: Spanish Christmas Lottery reduced tickets available to 160 million in 2013

In 2013, the Spanish Christmas Lottery reduced the number of available €20 tickets from 180 million to 160 million due to decreased demand, potentially reducing the maximum prize pool to €2.24 billion, with a maximum El Gordo of €720 million.

2014: Prize money worth about US$170,000 in 1445 lottery

In 2014, it was estimated that the prize money of 1737 florins from a lottery held on May 9, 1445, was worth about US$170,000. The lottery, documented in L'Ecluse, raised funds to construct walls and town fortifications, featuring 4,304 tickets.

2017: Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore in fiscal year 2017

In the fiscal year 2017, Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore from lotteries.

2018: Ohio offered digital lottery option in 2018

In 2018, Ohio became one of the first states to provide a digital lottery option, enabling players to participate through their smartphones using technology developed by Linq3.

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

In fiscal year 2018, Kerala's lottery revenue reached Rs 1,691 crore.

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

On January 7, 2020, the Lotto Max drawing set the record for the largest single jackpot in Canadian lottery history, amounting to $70 million.

May 2022: Rhymney residents win People's Postcode Lottery in May 2022

In May 2022, the residents of Rhymney, Wales, won in the People's Postcode Lottery. This event was documented in a Channel 4 documentary, "The Welsh Valley That Won the Lottery".

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

In November 2022, specifically on November 8, 2022, Powerball achieved the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, reaching an estimated US$2 billion.