The United States is famous for so many things. From Disneyland in the West to the Big Apple in the East, it’s pretty packed with fun and adventure from coast to coast. It’s also a part of the world where winning big jackpots becomes a dream come true for many. Conventional betting isn’t too common, but lotteries and prize draws most certainly are. Powerball, for example, offers very big cash prizes and is now available in 44 out of the 50 States.
As a US expat, one of the first things that struck me when I moved to the UK, and when I visited Ireland too, was how sports betting in particular is a big part of British and Irish culture. Every High Street I’ve visited seems to have at least 2 or 3 bookmakers on it. When you go into a betting shop you find people of all ages and walks of life. On certain days of the year bookmakers seem to be even more popular than shops!
So I was quite surprised to learn that the lottery hasn’t actually been around that long here, whereas in many other countries, it’s been around for decades.
Play Powerball
I know a couple of people back home in the States who have won a good amount of money on lotteries. So I was recently pleasantly surprised to learn that you can play Powerball at Lottoland, and playing is available to everyone, not just US ex-pats!
One of the most best things about playing Powerball, aside from being able to win big jackpots of course (!) is that a big portion of the funds generated from sales goes towards funding children’s education. In fact, many of the states that get the largest portion of funds from lotteries, like New York and California, give almost all the sales funds to education.
This is a big deal and I’m also aware that in the UK and Ireland, lottery sales fund very important initiatives. From education to arts and sports grants, lottery funds have made a very real difference to many people’s lives, both young and old.
There are people who still seem to frown on entering the lottery because they consider trying to win big jackpots as gambling. But when you hear that a school has been able to buy vital supplies of equipment and provide free meals to impoverished children because of lottery funding, it does challenge the older-fashioned perspectives still held by some.
It would be great to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
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