You might think you’ve seen it all when it comes to lottery, but the truth is that there are a lot of surprises left. For one, there’s a whole lot of people who really like to play the lottery, even if they know the odds are bad and that it is an irrational activity. I’ve talked to a lot of these people and found out that they spend $50, $100 a week on tickets, sometimes for years. This is no small sum, and it defies the expectations you might have if you were talking to someone who played a little lotto every now and then.

A good number selection strategy can significantly increase your chances of winning. Avoid numbers that are close together or that end with the same digit. Instead, try to cover a wide range of numbers, and don’t stick with just one group. It’s also a good idea to buy more tickets, which can slightly improve your chances of winning the jackpot.

Lotteries have a long and varied history in Europe. They date back to the Low Countries in the 17th century, when it was common to organize a public lottery to raise funds for things such as town fortifications and to help the poor. Lotteries proved very popular, and they were hailed as a painless form of taxation. They were also used to finance a variety of private projects in the American colonies, including Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and William and Mary colleges.