Almost everyone has played some kind of lottery-style game at some point in their lives. The first lottery records date back to 205 BC, and were used to finance important government projects in the Han Dynasty. Throughout the Middle Ages, lotteries were used by governments to raise money for fortifications and to help the poor.

Today, the majority of the proceeds from the lotteries are used to benefit public schools, colleges, and public employee pension systems. Some of the state-run lotteries also donate a portion of their profits to environmental programs and open space conservation.

The North Carolina lottery is officially named the North Carolina Education Lottery. The lottery is operated by the state and has contributed more than $5 billion to education programs. The proceeds go directly to the education fund, and 25 cents of every dollar that is collected on tickets goes to public programs.

The Hoosier Lottery is the Indiana state lottery. The lottery offers several local games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, and Cash4Life. Players can also play online games.

The Connecticut Lottery offers local games as well as multi-state draw games. The state lottery has also partnered with the Multi-State Lottery Association, which allows the state to participate in some of the largest lotteries in the world.

The New Hampshire lottery has several draw games. Players can also choose to play e-Instant games. These games can be played from a desktop or smartphone.

Several states have begun to legalize online lotteries. The Pennsylvania lottery does not offer Powerball online.