The first recorded signs of a lottery are keno slips from the
Chinese Han Dynasty between 205 and 187 BC. These lotteries
are believed to have helped to finance major government
projects like the Great Wall of China. From the Chinese "The
Book of Songs" (2nd millennium BC.) comes a reference to a
game of chance as "the drawing of wood", which in context
appears to describe the drawing of lots.
The first known European lotteries were held during the
Roman Empire, mainly as an amusement at dinner parties.
Each guest would receive a ticket, and prizes would often
consist of fancy items such as dinnerware. Every ticket holder
would be assured of winning something. This type of lottery,
however, was no more than the distribution of gifts by wealthy
noblemen during the Saturnalia revelries. The earliest records
of a lottery offering tickets for sale is the lottery organized by
Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. The funds were for repairs in
the City of Rome, and the winners were given prizes in the
form of articles of unequal value.
