The US lottery has been around since the early 1700s. Newspaper advertisements from the colonial period point to hundreds of lotteries. In 1934, Puerto Rico launched its lottery. In 1964, New Hampshire became the first US state to offer a lottery. Today, forty-seven states and Washington D.C. operate lotteries, and the Virgin Islands will begin operating their own lottery in 2021. In the US, the lottery has evolved into drawing games, instant-win games, and a variety of other forms.

In Maryland, the lottery is the third largest source of revenue for the state after corporate taxes and income taxes. The majority of Lottery revenue goes to paying prizes to winners, while the remainder is split between operating costs and retailer commissions. Twenty-seven percent of Lottery revenue goes into the General Fund of the State Treasury, which supports public health, education, and safety. The Maryland Lottery Division has a number of different marketing units to reach people.

Online lottery sites and apps enable players to buy tickets within seconds and play from anywhere. You can play the lottery on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Most popular lottery sites are compatible with all mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones. But be sure to check for games and jackpot sizes before purchasing a ticket online. The same goes for lottery betting websites. Despite their reputation, these sites and apps often offer only the most popular lotteries and don’t always carry smaller games in specific states.