Would it surprise you to know that lotteries played a serious part within the funding and founding of the very first colonies in what is now the usa? King James I granted the Virginia Company of London the usage of lotteries to finance not only Jamestown (the original colony of America), but also the crossing of the Mayflower in 1620. Lotteries have been a popular type of gambling for centuries, much once we use municipal bonds today, most often run by governments and cities, and they can be traced back to the Chinese Han Dynasty from 205 to 187 B.C.

In the early days of America, records show that over 200 lotteries were permitted between 1744 as well as the American Revolution, and these lottery agent games played a vital role in the funding of roads, libraries, churches, colleges, bridges, as well as other public works.