A lottery is a public or private contest in which participants pay money for a chance to win a prize. Lotteries have been in existence since at least the 1500s. They were popular in England and the United States as a means to raise revenue.

In the United States, state lotteries are regulated by each individual jurisdiction’s laws and regulations. They may have different game offerings and a variety of jackpots.

Some state lotteries have a large geographic footprint and offer several games; other jurisdictions organize a single game that spans multiple states. These games have higher jackpots and attract a larger number of players than smaller state lotteries.

The earliest recorded lottery was in China, where the emperors of the Han Dynasty held an annual draw that helped fund construction projects like the Great Wall. In the US, public lotteries began in New Hampshire and Puerto Rico in 1934 and were later expanded to other regions.

Today, there are 48 jurisdictions in the US that operate lotteries. These include 45 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Official lottery draws typically take place on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 7:20 pm EST. Results are posted as soon as possible after the drawing.

The largest ever Powerball jackpot was won on Tuesday. The winning ticket holder came from California. Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, CA, sold the winning ticket. The ticket holder’s identity has not been released. Jackpocket, the first third-party app in the US to provide a secure way to order official state lottery tickets, is a key part of this partnership.