The word lottery carries with it connotations of chance and fortune, which is probably why it is such a popular form of gambling. But it also has a more specific meaning when it is used to describe a competition based on chance in which people pay to enter and have the opportunity to win a prize if their numbers are drawn. The prize may be anything from a lump sum of cash to a house or car. Regardless of the prize, the odds of winning are astronomically low.
A lottery is usually run by a state government or its agency, though there are private lotteries that have grown in popularity as well. The prizes in a state lottery can vary from a small cash prize to a new car or even a free college education. The winner is determined by the random selection of tickets or symbols, which are often drawn from a pool of all entries. A computerized system has become the norm for determining winners, but some lotteries still use a human drawing.
During colonial America, lotteries were popular ways to raise money for public works projects. Some of Boston’s oldest buildings, such as Faneuil Hall and Old South Church, were built with lottery funds, and Benjamin Franklin ran a lottery in Philadelphia to help fund a militia to defend the city against the French. In Virginia, a lottery was used to fund the construction of roads over a mountain pass.
The earliest recorded use of the word “lottery” in English was in 1567, when Queen Elizabeth I organized a lottery to raise money for her navy and other public services. It was a popular method of raising funds, and it had the added benefit of relieving taxpayers of the burden of paying taxes.
While the odds of winning a lottery are incredibly low, many people do succeed in winning big prizes. In the US, for instance, the winnings of Powerball, a popular game involving picking six numbers, can be a life changer. While some winners find themselves in the spotlight, others end up living a nightmare, as is true of Abraham Shakespeare, who won $31 million and was murdered; Jeffrey Dampier, who dropped dead after winning $20 million; and Urooj Khan, who won $1 million and was poisoned by cyanide.
While the etymology of lottery is fascinating, it isn’t as intriguing as some of the stories about lottery winners that have emerged. And while it’s easy to envy their lightning-strike fame and fortune, a cottage industry of schadenfreude has developed around the unfortunate fates of some lottery winners, including those who lose everything or disappear shortly after winning a large sum of money. For example, a couple from Michigan made more than $27 million over nine years using a strategy that involved buying lottery tickets in bulk. This enabled them to take advantage of a loophole in the games’ rules. They’re not the only ones to do so, however; the Huffington Post has a number of stories about lottery winners who have gone missing after striking it rich.