Way before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, lotteries have existed, legal and illegal ones. Nero, the Roman emperor, was known to draw lotteries as a way to give prizes to guests who attended his parties. The very first public lottery happened in Florence Italy in 1530 as a way to generate funds for public projects.
In 1930, the Irish government created a para mutual operation, the Irish Sweepstakes, as a way to get funds for construction on hospitals throughout Ireland that was in such bad shape.
The European lotteries of today are much like the ones in the United States. Although in Europe, their jackpots are paid in one lump sum that is tax free. Saturdays and Wednesdays are their post times, similar to the U.S. and you can be part of the European lottery by contacting a service in the United States.
