History of Lottery in Timeline

A lottery is a gambling system where numbers are randomly drawn for a prize. Governments vary in their stance, with some outlawing lotteries and others running national or state lotteries. Government regulation commonly includes age restrictions and vendor licensing. While popular in the 19th century, lotteries were largely outlawed in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere by the early 20th century until after WWII. In the 1960s, lotteries resurfaced globally as a government revenue source, offering an alternative to raising taxes.

1916: Australian government started 'Golden Casket Art Union'

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

1917: Lottery organised to help finance Britain's war effort

In 1917, a lottery was organized by the British government with Thai consent to help fund Britain's war effort.

1933: A national lottery was reintroduced

In 1933, a national lottery was reintroduced.

1933: Lotteries became regularised under the finance department

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

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

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

1964: First modern government-run US lottery was established in New Hampshire

In 1964, New Hampshire followed Puerto Rico to establish the first modern government-run lottery in the U.S.

1967: Kerala State Government started their lottery department

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

1969: Company founded and incorporated by the Malaysian Government

In 1969, a company was founded and incorporated by the Malaysian Government with a focus on commercializing 4-Digits-based games.

1969: Lottery industry start operated in Malaysia by Berjaya Group

In early 1969, the lottery industry in Malaysia began operations under the management of Berjaya Group.

December 1970: Veikkaus began selling lottery tickets

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

January 3, 1971: The first draw was televised

On January 3, 1971, the first Veikkaus lottery draw in Finland was televised.

1980: Change in the number selection for the Finnish lottery

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

1980: Pennsylvania Lottery scandal

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

August 1985: Government sold the company to businessman Vincent Tan

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

1994: National Lottery was established

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

2003: "Tic-Tac-Toe" tickets pulled off the shelves

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

2005: Gambling Act restrictions

In accordance with the Gambling Act 2005, the maximum amount that can be won by a single ticket in the People's Postcode Lottery in the UK is £500,000.

2007: Washington's lottery tickets sold for about $15,000

In 2007, lottery tickets bearing George Washington's signature from his unsuccessful Mountain Road Lottery in 1768 were sold for approximately $15,000, becoming collector's items.

January 3, 2011: The lottery turned 40

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

2011: Profit categories were changed

In 2011, the profit categories for the Finnish lottery were modified, starting from round 41, changing the criteria for main and smallest wins.

2012: The Spanish Christmas Lottery prize payout

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

September 2013: Lottery televised on Yle TV1

From January 3, 1971 to September 29, 2013, the Finnish lottery was televised on Yle TV1.

October 2013: Lottery draws postponed on MTV3

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

2013: Number of tickets was reduced

In 2013, the Spanish Christmas Lottery reduced the number of available tickets from 180 million to 160 million due to falling demand, decreasing the potential maximum prize pool to €2.24 billion.

2014: Prize money worth about US$170,000

On May 9, 1445, a lottery at L'Ecluse aimed to raise funds for building walls and town fortifications, featuring 4,304 tickets and total prize money equivalent to about US$170,000 in 2014.

2017: Kerala collected GST worth Rs 908 crore

In the fiscal year 2017–2018, Kerala, India collected GST worth Rs 908 crore from lotteries.

2018: Ohio offers digital lottery option

In 2018, Ohio became one of the first states in the U.S. to provide a digital lottery option, allowing players to participate via their smartphones using technology developed by Linq3.

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

In the fiscal year 2017–2018, Kerala, India, generated state revenue of Rs 1,691 crore from lotteries.

January 7, 2020: Lotto Max drawing for a jackpot of $70 million

On January 7, 2020, the Canadian lottery history saw its largest single jackpot with a Lotto Max drawing offering $70 million.

May 2022: The Welsh Valley That Won the Lottery

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

November 2022: Powerball set a record for the largest lottery jackpot

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