Here Are a Few Countries That Host National Lotteries. Pick Your Destination and Aim the Jackpot!
A Brief Lottery History – A Step Back in Time
People didn’t just start buying lottery tickets out of the blue! It all started in China when the Chinese used Keno slips from the Han Dynasty between 205 and 187 BC. Yep before Christ… who knew, huh! These proceeds from these lotteries were believed to have helped finance major government projects like the Great Wall of China! So, is gambling, in practical terms and when played responsibly, illegal or is it a means to develop the country? That’s your food for thought! Anyway, back to our history, the first European lotteries were held during the Roman Empire as entertainment at dinner parties. The guests who attended the dinner parties were given a ticket each and the prizes would often consist of fancy dinnerware and other household things. Then in the 15th century, prizes, in the form of money, were given to players who played the lottery. The money they received when players bought their ticket was used for town repairs, poverty elimination and development.
Countries with a National Lottery
Today national lotteries are almost worldwide. Many countries have a national lottery, the proceeds of which are used for their country’s development and other priority agenda. Here’s a list of countries that host a national lottery:
Africa
Apart from the Masai and the wildlife, some African countries have their own national lottery and they are: Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, Morocco, South Sudan, Nigeria and Ghana.
North and South America
Love the Amazon forest and the Niagara Falls? Well, apart from these wonderful tourist attractions, here are some countries that host the national lottery: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and the United States.
Asia
The countries that have their own national lotteries in Asia are: China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Macau, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
Australasia
The home of beautiful beaches, Australia and New Zealand host the national lottery.
Europe
This list is by far the biggest worldwide! The countries in Europe that host the national lottery are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Island, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Notable National Lottery Prizes
Knowing the odds of winning a lottery jackpot, there are, however, some people who hit the bull’s eye and took home a fortune they could have never imagined to earn. The largest solo winner was an 84 year old, Gloria C. MacKenzie from the United States who won the Powerball lottery jackpot on the 18th of May 2013 for a decent bounty of $590.5 million before tax! Seriously? The second largest Powerball jackpot prize came on 25th of December 2002 to Andrew Jackson “Jack” Whittaker, Jr. for a cool $314.9 million before tax.
National Lottery Facts to Keep You Entertained!
- By the time you finish reading this line; about 36 people will have won a prize in the National Lottery!
- Approximately one in seven National Lottery jackpot winners have gladly gifted $1 million or more to one of their family member or friend – i.e. National Lottery winners helped create extra 728 millionaires!
- Among National Lottery winners, one in every ten winners has bought at least ten exotic cars! The favorite car brands among National Lottery winners are Land Rover, BMW 3 Series, Jaguar, Ford Fiesta and VW Golf.
- The youngest National Lottery winner was Tracey Makin, a 16-year old, who won the lottery for a mind blowing $1 million!
- Based on the total of National Lottery winners, the five blessed jobs are builder, machine operator, administrator / office worker, driver and chef!
- The draw balls, differing to the common belief, are not dyed ping pong balls. National Lottery balls weigh 80 grams each, and are made of firm latex rubber.
- To date, thanks to the National Lottery, over $17 billion has been donated for a good cause.
- Behind the success of a man is a woman… who knew? One lucky player found out that he had won the National Lottery for $1.5 million only when his girlfriend checked his pockets before putting them in the wash!
- So you bought a car, a house and some jewelry after you won a bounty on the National Lottery? Some people bought a gothic folly, a mini road sweeper, a water buffalo, a football club and an acre on… wait for it… the moon!
