lotteries

Pennsylvania citizen Mary Ann Gilliam, left, is aided by Pennsylvania Lottery district manager Peter H. Cardiges as she picks a number for a lottery drawing on Sept. 19, 1980 in Pittsburgh.

National

The settlers brought the lottery to America. It's had a long, uneven history

3:57pm August 09, 2023

by Scott Neuman

Americans spend an estimated $100 billion each year on lottery tickets. It's a tradition that dates back to the nation's earliest settlers, and was even one the Founding Fathers took part in.

Numbers on tickets for the Mega Millions lottery are selected by a purchaser in Los Angeles on Friday.

National

Mega Millions' Tuesday jackpot could be a record-breaking $1.55 billion

7:39am August 05, 2023

by Don Clyde

Friday night's jackpot was already a whopping $1.35 billion, but since there again was no winner the next one could break the $1.537 billion record set in 2018.

A lottery ticket vending machine offers Mega Millions tickets for sale on Jan. 9 in Chicago. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to a whopping $1.05 billion.

National

Mega Millions jackpot passes $1 billion after no one draws all 6 winning numbers

7:32am July 29, 2023

by Don Clyde

The next drawing for the grand prize, which is equal to the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot to date, is Tuesday. Just last week, a winning ticket for a $1.08 billion Powerball drawing was sold.

Lottery jackpots are soaring past the billion-dollar mark more frequently, thanks to higher interest rates and several rules changes. Here, a ticket machine displays the projected jackpot for a Mega Millions drawing in Chicago, in early January.

Huge jackpots are less rare — and 4 other things to know about the lottery

10:51am January 13, 2023

by Bill Chappell

What would you do with a $1 billion payday? If you're hearing that question more these days, it's because huge jackpots like the Mega Millions aren't as rare as they once were.

A Mega Millions customer purchases her tickets for the estimated jackpot of $1.1 Billion at the Fuel On Convenience Store in Pittsburgh, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. Twenty-four consecutive drawings later with no grand prize winner named, the Mega Millions jackpot is now over $1 billion, making it one of the largest jackpots in lottery history. The next drawing is Friday.

Here's where your money goes when you buy a ticket from a state-run lottery

10:00pm January 12, 2023

by Jonathan Franklin

The Mega Millions' estimated jackpot has increased to a total of $1.35 billion — the second-largest jackpot in the game's history, officials say.

Lotteries Take In Billions, Often Attract The Poor

7:19am August 11, 2014

by Steve Tripoli

Americans wager nearly $60 billion a year on lotteries. Revenues help states, which use the money to provide services. But researchers say the games often draw low-income gamblers who are on welfare.

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