National Lottery Day

Today is National Lottery Day!

Lotteries in America date back to before the Revolutionary War. The first authorized lottery in the colonies took place in Boston, Massachusets in 1745 to help pay for mounting debts. The first modern day lottery was held in New Hampshire in 1964. Now there are lotteries in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

The largest jackpot ever was $1.586 Billion. The Powerball jackpot on January 13, 2016 had 3 winning tickets, each worth around $500 million. The odds of winning a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 300 million. There is a better chance you will get struck by lightning, become an astronaut, or be killed by a vending machine.

There is a common statistic that 70% of all lottery winners end up going broke within seven years. On National Lottery Day, it just might be worth it!