A lottery is a type of gambling which is present in United States of America and in Europe. It is guided through the government and that is the reason why some countries don't have such a form of gambling because the government outlawed it, while in other countries it became a national lottery. Before the World War II this form of online gambling agency was illegal, but in 1960 casinos and lotteries began to appear in USA and Europe and they were used as a means to raise revenue along with taxes. Sometimes the lottery is described as a regressive tax. It really is described as a "tax on stupidity" as a result of the minimal chances to win the big prize. Even if it really is used to describe this type of gambling, the word "tax" isn't strictly correct because these descriptions are used to make people realize that these games are government-sanctioned operations and they attract only people that do not recognize that buying a lottery ticket is a simple economic decision. Lotteries come in lots of formats. Some lotteries can give a prize which is based upon money and many of them on goods. Lottery tickets are usually checked on the computer using mark sense-technology, that could check in less than one second if a combination of numbers was chosen by anyone. Do not think that the lottery was invented in 1960, after the World War II. Romans were first to play this game - this was a way to relax and amuse at dinner parties. The truth is the fact that it was different from these days lottery, because, even when guests were receiving some tickets (the prize often consisted of fancy items), individuals who were unlucky received prizes, too. Therefore, this kind of lottery was a kind of distribution of gifts by wealthy noblemen.