Lotteries have a storied history to them. First originating in recorded history during the Han Dynasty, they were simple games where a person would draw wooden sticks that would determine the person’s lot. The proceeds from these lotteries went to the development of the Great Wall of China.
In Europe, lotteries wouldn’t get their start until the times of the Roman Empire. Rather than being state-sponsored, they served as party games during dinner parties where each participant would walk away with a prize determined by chance.

Since ancient times lotteries have emerged and evolved with their times. Today, many people play the lottery online. Online lotteries offer many benefits over their physical counterparts. For instance, and probably most importantly, your ticket is always secure. There is no risk of ever losing a winning ticket, and because the tickets are digital, many services can email you the winning results and even tell you if your ticket won or lost. Alleviating the hassle of going through each ticket to see if you have any matching numbers.

Variety is the spice of life, and with online lotteries players are not limited to their geographical locations. This allows people to enjoy lotteries even if their local governments do not permit such activities within their borders. It also means people from anywhere in the world can play games with better, more reputable odds or lower admission costs.

For instance, the Lotto online in NZ offers a competitively low entry rate of only $2.80 for four lines, aka chances at winning in the standard lottery. New Zealand, as with many other countries, also offers a power ball game where players pick an additional number for $1.50 per line, offering higher payout rates.

For the daring, a strike line consisting of four more numbers can be added for $1.00 per line to further increase potential payout. If you’re like me and believe your luck isn’t good or you want RNJesus, the Dice Gods, or whatever god of luck you worship to decide your fate, you can buy what is known as a dip. A dip has a random number generator pick your numbers for you, and then the Fates decide if you will win or lose.

For those wanting more New Zealand offers additional instant win games such as the Kiwi Instant Win Lottery, where you pick or autoselect six numbers and will know in a few minutes whether you have won or not. Match three, and you get your money back. Match all the numbers, and you walk away with $20,000.

Beyond the Kiwi Lottery are smaller regional lotteries and even the multi-million dollar lotteries from various nations worldwide. If scratch-offs are your thing, they’ve got you covered as well. There are multiple ways you can play your luck for a chance at making your dreams come true.

Yet, it is important to remember to play safely. Never spend more than you can afford, and the best way to know what you can afford is to properly budget your income and expenses. Spend only the part of your budget that is allocated for fun/entertainment, not the portion used for important stuff like eating, housing, gasoline, or the various other essentials.

If you believe you are starting to develop a problem, that would be the time to stop. Lotteries are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable, but if you’re destroying your life over them, then you are doing neither. An easy way to keep yourself in check is again a proper budget. Add together and categorize what you’re spending per week and month on gambling. This will allow you to know if your spending habits are negatively impacting your life or if you are just enjoying yourself with some extra spending money. It also helps shut up those who say you have a problem when you can show mathematically that you as a matter of fact, do not have a problem.

This is also a great technique to avoid spending too much on more worthless forms of gambling like loot boxes or to know if you are spending too much on microtransactions or entertainment in general.

It is also recommended to know and play the odds. Unfortunately, most do not win the mega millions, but it is easier to match three out of six than it is to match all six. Scratch offs offer a higher chance to win than mega millions, and regional lotteries don’t provide as large a payout, but have better odds as they require fewer numbers. Mastering the odds is a useful skill to winning at both gambling and life in general.