Lottery gaming has been present in many countries for more than a century. Governments used them to raise revenue for different projects and also to provide entertainment to their people. In most places, the lottery was not frowned upon like other forms of gambling. To date, lotteries are still highly popular across the globe. The internet has made them even more convenient now that players can access lotteries even outside their countries. Here are some of the biggest lotteries across the world by country.
Lottery operators in Australia are lucky enough to get licenses at a territory or state level. The country has both private sector and government-owned lottery companies. Australia’s first lottery took place in Sydney in the 1880s.
Although the private sweepstake was quickly prohibited, the Australian government started the Golden Casket Art Union in 1916. The lottery was formed to raise money for projects and charities.
Today, lotteries in Australia are operated by Tatts Group under the Government license in each territory or state. Only Western Australia has an exception. Online lottery sales are allowed in Australia with Jumbo Interactive and Netlotto Pty being the licensed re-sellers. Health lotteries are also conducted in the country. The country’s highest lottery prize is 112 million Australian dollars from the OZ lotto lottery won on 6th November 2012.
The United States does not have any national lottery. That is because lottery existence in the country is subject to the laws of each state. By 2011, the United States had a total of 43 lotteries established in 43 different states, one in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
Powerball was created to build very large jackpots with Oregon, Kansas, Lowa, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Missouri, and Rhode Island being its charter members. The Big Game, now known as Mega Millions, is another major multijurisdictional game formed in 1996 by Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan, and Maryland as its charter members. Powerball is available in 44 jurisdictions, with Mega Millions in 43 jurisdictions. Wild Card 2 and Hot Lotto are also major US lotteries. The Powerball lottery holds the record of the largest jackpot ever. The prize was a whopping 1586.4 million dollars.
Lottery games in India are controlled by state government organizations. They follow the rules and regulations set by the federal government. Private lotteries were banned to favor state lotteries. Kerala, Sikkim, Goa, and Punjab run independent lottery departments. They conduct bumper lottery draws and weekly lottery draws.
Government lottery is now legal in 13 states in India. Kerala State Lotteries made their largest ever profit of Rs 788.42 crore in 2013-2014. The department has more than 100,000 retail sellers and over 35,000 authorized agents. Although each state runs lotteries according to its rules and regulations, India requires one to have attained 18 years and above to participate in a lottery. Some players in states where playing lottery is banned search for online alternatives.
The United Kingdom has one National Lottery. The National Lottery has games such as Lotto Hotpicks, Thunderball, EuroMillions, and Lotto. EuroMillions is played on a European basis. The National Lottery is operated by the National Lottery Commission on a franchise basis. It is now held by the Camelot Group.
The Health Lottery, a new privately run lottery has recently emerged. The occurrence is largely influenced by the latest technology that allows people to play lotteries from the comfort of their homes. Other new lotteries in the United Kingdom are the 49s and the People's Postcode Lottery. EuroMillions has made a name for itself by holding Europe's largest jackpot ever won.
