I would like to ask you a question. Did you know July 17th is National Lottery Day #NationalLottery? This is one #Holiday David would like to celebrate by purchasing a lottery ticket or two or three. As for me I prefer having the money I would spend on a ticket to put in my bank. Although, I know you have to spend money to make money so I might need to purchase at least one lottery ticket. Would you like to purchase one or two lottery tickets with me?
Here’s a midsummer night’s daydream: You — who have never won a single thing in your entire life — decide to take a wild leap and play the lottery. Why? There’s something about free money that seems appealing. You scratch the card, cross your fingers, avoid the 13th floor, and generally hope for the best. Then, right on July 17th National Lottery Day it happens. You win the big dollars and spend the rest of the month searching for the perfect Beach house on Kauai.
Well, maybe, but one thing’s for sure. You have to play the lottery to win. National Lottery Day is a chance for everyone to try their luck and get involved. The concept of the ‘lottery’ has been around since ancient times. The practice became mainstream in the late 15th Century in Europe. Drawing lots to nominate a winner swept across Europe to the United States in 1612, when a lottery was established by King James I to fund the first permanent British settlement in Virginia, North America. From then on, lotteries were used by private and public bodies to raise money for wars, towns, colleges, and community projects.
In early American history of the lottery, George Washington hosted one in the 1760s to finance the building of the Mountain Road in Virginia. John Hancock ran a lottery to rebuild Faneuil Hall in Boston in 1765 and the cannons used during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783 were paid for by the support of lotteries. Lotteries just seemed too good to be true, as concerns rose regarding their harmful impact on the public. A constitutional prohibition was issued against lotteries, with New York being the first State where the lottery was implemented.
After the Civil War ended, reconstruction in the Southern States was dependent on lotteries. The Louisiana lottery especially became popular. The Louisiana lottery was abolished in 1894 after Congress banned the transport of lottery materials across State lines. Soon after, the public discovered that the lottery was being run by a crime syndicate that committed fraud and bribed legislators. This became a massive scandal that was widely publicized. Lotteries gained a bad reputation and were completely outlawed by the end of the 19th Century.
The negativity surrounding gambling started softening at the turn of the 20th Century. Gambling was legalized in Casinos in the State of Nevada in the 1930s and gambling for charity also became common. If you have the opportunity purchase a lottery ticket! Try your luck, maybe National Lottery Day will increase your odds of winning.
Those who have never brought a lottery ticket usually purchase their first one today, just for fun. Special promotions by local- and State lotteries are offered so watch out for them. Interviews with former lottery winners are published on Social Media, and a general buzz surrounds lotteries on National Lottery Day.
NATIONAL LOTTERY DAY ACTIVITIES
- You have to play the lottery to win it. Treat yourself to a few tickets and see what happens. You never know, today might be your lucky day.
- If you’re still paying money to play the traditional way, make it a team effort among friends. Just make sure you all understand how the seven-way split works before you hit the jackpot.
- Share the fun of playing with someone else and buy them a lottery ticket too. If theirs is the winning ticket then we’re sure that your generosity will be remembered.
THE BIGGEST U.S. LOTTERY JACKPOTS EVER
- $1.59 billion in (2016) was a total of three winning tickets split making this the largest-ever jackpot. Making each ticket worth more than $500 million. Winners lived in California, Florida, and Tennessee. The California winners assigned most of the proceeds to charity.
- $1.54 billion (2018) when a South Carolina woman waited nearly four months to claim the prize. She took a one-time lump-sum payment of nearly $878 million and remained anonymous. Which would be the smartest think to do because people wouldn’t know you had won and be badgering you for money.
- $768 million (2019) was winner Manuel Franco who purchased his Powerball ticket at a Wisconsin gas station. His reaction? “I was going insane,” Franco said. “My heart started racing. I screamed for about 5 or 10 minutes.” Manuel Franco chose the lump-sum payment of $477 million. Franco is just 24 years old.
- $759 million (2017) when Mavis Wanczyk bought the lucky ticket in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Mavis Wanczyk won about $336 million. Wanczyk immediately quit her hospital job (patient care) after working for 32 years.
- $688 million (2018) was for a drawing which produced two winning tickets. A New York City man named Robert Bailey claimed half — vowing afterwards to remain a lottery player. The other half went to Lerynne West of Redfield, Iowa (total population: 830). West had misplaced her ticket, but eventually discovered it on the floor of her sister’s truck.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL LOTTERY DAY
- The ultimate fantasy would be to win the lottery. Go ahead today and ask someone the standard question “If you had three wishes…” and see how many times you hear the word “lottery.” It’s human nature after all. Pick a few numbers. Win a million (or 100 million) dollars. That’s a tough wish to top.
- Winning the lottery is a chance to change the world or at least a few lives. You can really start helping people (and worthy causes) once you win the big dollars. You wouldn’t keep all your lottery winnings for yourself would you?
- Just considering a mega jackpot might force you to start assessing what you really want out of life. Maybe it’s not actually a new car or tickets to join a future mission to Mars. What if your dream’s easier to reach than you think?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
