State lotteries give participants the dream of winning huge jackpots while providing the state with funding for education, transportation, and other projects. State lotteries currently operate in about three-fourths of the states in the United States. These lotteries provide individuals with a relatively inexpensive means of gambling on the possibility of winning a huge jackpot. The first legal state lottery was established in New Hampshire in 1964, culminating 10 years of legislative effort.

Probabilities of Winning

A wide range of games is offered by the numerous state lotteries across the country. The offerings of the Florida State Lottery in 2001, for example, include Florida Lotto, Mega Money, Fantasy 5, Play 4, and CASH 3, as well as numerous instant games played with scratch-off tickets. These games cater to the preferences of potential players by varying the size of the prizes awarded and the probabilities of winning.

Florida Lotto, the premier game in...