Lotteries tend to work on a state, national or international level and are run by the government or a government funded organisation. There are hundreds of lotteries which take place all over the world and on different levels:
State Lotteries – Sikkim State Lottery (India), Maharashtra State Lottery (India), New York Lottery (USA)
National Lotteries – Powerball (USA), Mega Millions (USA), El Gordo de Navidad (Spain), Super Enalotto (Italy)
International Lotteries – EuroMillions (Europe), Euro Jackpot (Europe)
The rise of online luckylottery sites have essentially turned all National and International lotteries into worldwide lotteries though.
The funds raised from ticket sales don’t all go towards the prize fund – usually about 50% does. So what happens to the rest of the money raised from lottery ticket sales? Some goes towards charity and some is taken as commission by the online luckylottery ticket retailers.
You could argue that playing the luckylottery is the most ethical form of gambling because at least you are contributing to the community and charity no matter whether you win or lose.
The Numbers Behind US Powerball
On the Powerball website they show us how they split their revenue, and to be honest this is a fairly typical split for any lottery.
50% of a ticket sale goes to fund prizes
35% of a ticket sale goes to charity
6% of a ticket sale goes to the ticket-seller
9% of a ticket sale goes to operating expenses
Progressive Jackpots
With most big lotteries they have a jackpot which is progressive and other prizes which are claimed every time numbers are drawn. The jackpot is the prize that attracts players because it’s usually progressive. This means that every time it isn’t won it grows in size – remember we told you that the Powerball jackpot starts at $40 million and increases by a minimum of $10 million per draw until the jackpot is won. With two draws every week it’s not hard to see how this jackpot starts to grow pretty quickly!
