The lottery is one of the oldest games in the world, and it has been around for centuries. In the Netherlands, the state-owned Staatsloterij has been running the game for almost 150 years. There are similarities between European lotteries and Italian lotteries, but there are differences as well. For instance, French lotteries have a similar history, but Italian lotteries are relatively new. In the 1500s, Francis I introduced the lottery in France, and it quickly gained popularity. The French lottery was widespread until the seventeenth century. In the 17th century, Louis XIV won the top prize in the drawing, but he returned the winnings to the state for redistribution. The French lottery was abolished in 1836, but a new one was established in 1933. After the World War II, the French lottery reopened as the Loterie Nationale.
Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij is the oldest running lottery
The Netherlands is home to some of the world’s oldest lottery games. The Dutch National Lottery has been in operation for more than two centuries. The first draw was held in The Hague in 1726 and the proceeds fund a massive range of projects. The El Gordo lottery in Spain is another long-running lottery. Operating since 1812, it offers millions of euros to lucky ticket buyers each year.
The Staatsloterij is the Dutch lottery service run by the Dutch government. In 2010, it guaranteed EUR 4.3 million in prizes every month. The Dutch lottery draws tickets on the 10th of every month. The first prize is EUR 7.5 million, but the jackpot can increase to EUR 25 million if more tickets are purchased.
African-American and Latino low-income communities had higher lottery sales than white or Hispanic zip codes
In 2002, lottery sales were higher in low-income African-American and Latino communities than in white or Hispanic zip codes. While this may not necessarily reflect the socioeconomic composition of a community, it is indicative of the level of poverty in a particular neighborhood. For example, the 60609 zip code is a low-income community with a high percentage of African-American residents, and its residents spent $23 million on lottery tickets in 2002. Comparatively, those in affluent communities spent just $0.46 per $100 of income.
The disparity in lottery sales between low-income African-American and Latino communities is partly a result of structural inequities. In 2005, one-quarter of African-American households had no assets, compared to only six percent of white households. These numbers have not changed much since the study was conducted.
Scammers pretended to have won a lottery but were prevented from claiming the prize because the person who wrote the name on the back of the ticket was supposedly out of the country
Scammers posing as lottery winners often ask prize winners to send money in advance or provide sensitive personal information. Legitimate lotteries never ask prize winners for this information. Moreover, deceptive emails can lead to unauthorized purchases, changes to online account passwords, and identity theft.
One such scam involved an older man with Alzheimer’s who sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to the scammers before eventually committing suicide when he was unable to claim the prize. According to a San Diego television station, scammers often target seniors because they are more likely to be gullible and have more money than younger people. In addition, seniors may have a long-term phone number that can be easily traced.
