What is a Lottery?
Lottery is a type of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers to determine a prize. Although casting lots to make decisions and determining fates by chance has long been an ancient practice (the Old Testament contains several examples), lotteries are of more recent origin as a means of raising funds. The earliest public lottery was held in Roman times for city repairs, and later in 15th-century Burgundy and Flanders towns used them to raise money for fortifications or aid the poor. By the time the American Revolution came along, Benjamin Franklin had run a lottery to fund cannons for defense of Philadelphia and John Adams had organized one to help build roads in Virginia over mountain passes.
Most state lotteries operate on the same basic principle: a state legislates a monopoly for itself; establishes an agency or corporation to run the lottery, rather than licensing a private company in return for a portion of revenues; begins operations with a modest number of relatively simple games; and then, driven by continuing pressures for additional revenues, progressively expands the game’s scope, complexity, and variety. The resulting dynamic creates a dilemma for state officials: they must balance the desire to increase revenue with their responsibility to safeguard the public welfare.
Buying lottery tickets has become a ubiquitous activity in the United States. Many people purchase tickets as a low-risk investment with the hope of winning millions in a single draw. While the odds of winning are extremely small, lottery players contribute billions to government receipts that could otherwise be used for other purposes. This has raised concerns about compulsive gambling behavior and a regressive tax on lower-income individuals.
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Source: This article was originally published on Village San Clemente
About the Agent
Jim Flores is an accomplished real estate professional providing services as both agent and broker for over 13 years. His extensive knowledge of the Southern California real estate & mortgage market has allowed him to provide an outstanding level of client satisfaction to his clientele. As co-founder founder of Sea Sell Realty Jim is committed to personalized service. His goal is to exceed client needs by applying his expertise to all aspects of the real estate industry including sales, property management, consulting, training and real estate technology. For example, Jim’s use of technology benefits his clients by utilizing tools that make transactions client friendly: electronic signing, social media ads, paper less transactions and iPad essentials.