Lotteries have been around nearly as long as civilization has been around. People love lotteries. Lotteries though history 'Way Back There- Lotteries are ancient. Aside from biblical references to casting lots for reward, the first recorded mentions of draw games in history were those devised by the Romans. It was common for emperors to give their dinner party guest gifts ranging from slaves to lavish villas, all awarded as door-prize drawings.
Lots also appear in the literature and traditions of Greece, India, China, Japan and Rome.
Prizes were in the form of goods or commodities. Tickets were 10 pounds each and the prizes were in 16-year cash annuities. In America, the Virginia Company financed the Jamestown Colony with a lottery. A lottery sponsored by John Hancock rebuilt Boston's Faneuil Hall after it was damaged by fire. Lotteries financed buildings at Harvard and Yale colleges.