The lottery was first used by the Continental Congress to fund the Colonial Army. Alexander Hamilton advocated that lotteries be simple so that people would risk a small sum for a larger gain. People preferred a small chance of winning something big to a big chance of winning nothing. Because taxes were not widely accepted as a method of raising money, many colonies turned to the lottery as a way of raising money. There were even cases where the lottery was used to fund a war effort.
Until recently, there were few state lotteries. Online lotteries only began appearing in 2012, when online lotteries first made their appearance. Until that time, only a few states offered online lottery games. However, online lottery games are catching on. Some states have legalized online lottery games, including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. As of August 2018, nearly half of all states have their own lottery. In 1992, the Power Ball, the first interstate lottery, served 15 states. Then, the next year, MegaMillions was introduced.
Nowadays, most states in the US have a website dedicated to the lottery. The primary utility of these websites is to display winning numbers and find contact information. However, a few online lotteries have recently begun to offer Instant Games, which are casino-style games that you can play on the web. These Instant Games allow you to wager on the outcomes of your lottery tickets and are available on the web and mobile apps. If you’re not sure which lottery game you’d prefer, check out the official website of the lottery in your state.