A lottery is a form of gambling which is present in USA as well as in Europe. It is guided through the government and that's the reason some countries don't have such a type of gambling because the government outlawed it, while in other countries it became a national lottery. Prior to the World War II this type of gambling was illegal, but in 1960 casinos and lotteries began to appear in United States and Europe and they were used as a means to raise revenue together with taxes. Sometimes the lottery is described as a regressive tax. It's known as a "tax on stupidity" as a result of the minimal chances to win the big prize. Even when it really is used to describe this form of gambling, the word "tax" is not strictly correct as these descriptions are used to make people realize that these games are government-sanctioned operations and they attract only individuals that don't know that buying a lottery ticket is a simple economic decision. Lotteries come in many formats. Some lotteries can offer a prize which is based upon money and some of them on goods. Lottery tickets tend to be checked on the computer using mark sense-technology, which will check in less than one second if a variety 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 distinctive from these days lottery, because, even if guests were receiving some tickets (the prize often consisted of fancy items), individuals who were unlucky received prizes, too. Consequently, this sort of lottery was a sort of distribution of gifts by wealthy noblemen.