10 surprising lottery facts to celebrate International Lottery Day

While we recently celebrated National Lottery Week here in the United States, it looks like even more celebrating is happening today. International Lottery Day takes place on August 27, 2026. The game has changed drastically over the years. While players today think of  Powerball, Mega Millions, and colorful scratch-off tickets, there were lotteries taking place around the world long before players started daydreaming about winning a billion-dollar jackpot.

On this International Lottery Day, we wanted to share 10 surprising facts about lotteries and how they became the games millions of Americans know today.

1. Lotteries date back thousands of years

Lotteries aren’t something that was just discovered recently. Games involving the drawing of lots can be traced back thousands of years. We have seen forms of chance-based drawings taking place in ancient civilizations.

Even though it’s been thousands of years, the basic concept has survived: Players take a chance, a random drawing takes place that determines the outcome, and someone is lucky enough to walk away with a prize.

2. Ancient China had its own lottery-like game

One of the earliest examples of a lottery-like game came from China’s Han Dynasty, which ruled from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220.

There have been Keno-like slips associated with this period, dating to around 200 B.C. Historical accounts state that proceeds from these games of chance may have helped finance government projects.

3. Lotteries at Roman parties

When it comes to ancient Romans, they apparently enjoyed a good lottery drawing.

Reports state that lottery-style games were used as entertainment at dinner parties. These parties would consist of wealthy hosts distributing tickets, and guests could leave the party with prizes.

Public lotteries were also held by Roman Emperor Augustus, which raised money for repairs in Rome.

4. Prizes offered instead of cash

Back in the day, if you won the lottery, it wasn’t about receiving a big, giant check.

In 15th-century Europe, lotteries would sometimes give out valuable goods instead of cash. These prizes would include items such as silverware, tapestries, and other valuable merchandise.

Imagine checking your ticket and finding out you won a fancy set of dishes instead of millions.

5. America's lottery history started before the United States

The American colonies were already using lotteries long before the Declaration of Independence.

In 1612, a lottery linked to the Virginia Company helped raise money for the Jamestown settlement. So, lotteries had a place in American history over 150 years before the country officially existed.

6. Famous American colleges were funded by lotteries

Some of the best-known universities in America have historical connections to lotteries.

At different points in history, lotteries were used to help raise money for different institutions, which include Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. This was an alternative way of financing projects when other sources of funding were limited.

7. Even the Founding Fathers got involved

The history of lotteries even crosses paths with some very familiar names in American history.

To help finance cannons for the defense of Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery. George Washington was involved with a lottery intended to help finance a road project. However, that plan struggled to get off the ground.

8. Lotteries haven't always been welcome in America

While lotteries are popular now, they faced some major backlash during the 1800s amid concerns about fraud and corruption.

By the end of the 1800s, lotteries had largely disappeared from the United States. It would take decades before they started making a comeback through state-run lottery games.

9. New Hampshire brought the modern state lottery back

Of all the states, the modern era of American state lotteries actually got started in New Hampshire.

In 1964, New Hampshire launched its sweepstakes. At that time, they became the first state to operate a lottery in the modern era. There were soon other states that followed suit, which helped lay the groundwork for today’s massive U.S. lottery industry.

10. A lottery jackpot has topped $2 billion

While we started with giving out nice dish sets to winners, lotteries have come a long way.

In November 2022, a ticket in California won a $2.04 billion jackpot, which is the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

That’s quite an evolution from ancient drawings at parties and colonial fundraisers.

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.