History of Lottery in Timeline

A lottery is a gambling game where numbers are randomly drawn for a prize. Globally, government attitudes vary; some ban lotteries, while others organize national or state versions, often regulating them to prevent sales to minors and license vendors. Lotteries were common in the 19th century but largely outlawed in the early 20th century in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere. Post-World War II, casinos and lotteries re-emerged in the 1960s as a way for governments to generate revenue without increasing taxes.

1916: Start of the 'Golden Casket Art Union'

In 1916, the Australian government introduced the 'Golden Casket Art Union' lottery to raise funds for charities and projects, with the first draw aimed at supporting veterans of World War One.

1917: Lottery organized by British government

In 1917, the British government organized a lottery with Thai consent in Thailand to help finance Britain's war effort.

1933: Reintroduction of national lottery

In 1933, a national lottery was reintroduced.

1933: Regularization of lotteries

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

1934: First US government-run lottery

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

1964: Lottery in New Hampshire

In 1964, New Hampshire followed Puerto Rico and established a government-run lottery.

1967: Kerala State Government started lottery department

In 1967, the Kerala State Government in India started their lottery department following a country-wide ban on private lotteries.

1969: Incorporation of lottery company by Malaysian Government

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

1969: Start of lottery industry in Malaysia

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

December 1970: Veikkaus began selling lottery tickets

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

January 3, 1971: First televised lottery draw in Finland

On January 3, 1971, the first lottery draw by Veikkaus was televised in Finland, officially launching the lottery to the public.

January 1971: First lottery draw in Finland

In January 1971, the first lottery draw was held in Finland, after Veikkaus started selling lottery tickets in December 1970.

1980: Pennsylvania Lottery scandal

In 1980, the Pennsylvania Lottery was involved in a scandal where balls in The Daily Number were weighted to manipulate the outcome.

1980: Change in number selection in Finland's lottery

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

August 1985: Privatisation of lottery company

On August 1, 1985, the Malaysian government sold the lottery company to businessman Vincent Tan who 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, sanctioned by the Gambling Commission and state-franchised.

2003: "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets recalled

In 2003, Mohan Srivastava found non-random patterns in "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets sold by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, leading to the game being recalled.

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

In 2007, a rare lottery ticket bearing George Washington's signature from his unsuccessful Mountain Road Lottery in 1768 was sold for about $15,000, making it a collector's item.

January 3, 2011: 40th anniversary of Finnish lottery

On January 3, 2011, the Finnish lottery turned 40 years old, having been drawn 2,126 times since its inception.

2011: Changes in profit categories

In 2011, specifically from round 41, the profit categories of the lottery in Finland were changed.

2012: Total prizes for Spanish Christmas Lottery

In 2012, the Spanish Christmas Lottery's total prize payout could have been worth €2.52 billion if all tickets had been sold.

September 2013: End of lottery on Yle TV1

On September 29, 2013, the Finnish lottery was last televised on Yle TV1, ending a long-standing tradition.

October 2013: Lottery draw postponed on MTV3

In October 2013, lottery draws in Finland were postponed on MTV3 after the evening news due to FICORA deeming the sponsorship cooperation between Veikkaus and Yle illegal.

2013: Reduced tickets for Spanish Lottery

In 2013, the Spanish Christmas Lottery reduced the number of available €20 tickets from 180 million to 160 million due to falling demand.

2014: Value of 1737 florins in 1445

In 2014, the total prize money of 1737 florins from a lottery held on May 9, 1445, at L'Ecluse, 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 from lotteries.

2018: Ohio offers digital lottery option

In 2018, Ohio became one of the first states to offer a digital lottery option, allowing players to play on their smart phones using technology developed by Linq3.

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

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

January 7, 2020: Record jackpot for Lotto Max

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: Channel 4 documentary about lottery winners

In May 2022, Channel 4 aired a documentary, The Welsh Valley That Won the Lottery, about residents of Rhymney who won the People's Postcode Lottery.

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November 2022: Powerball sets record for largest jackpot

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