It
seems like no matter where you turn, everyone is advertising some kind of
instant win game. From supermarkets offering various game play to win
groceries, to lotteries offering up instant win games. Just where did these games come
from though, what’s their history? Are they only available at brick and mortar
locations or can you play them online? Keep reading to find out the answers to
all of this and more.
A Brief History of the Lottery
These
types of games though have a relatively young history when compared to that of
gambling and the lottery. It is believed that the earliest forms of gambling
can be traced back to the Paleolithic period, approximately 3000 BCE. The first
form of lottery is believed to have taken place during the Han Dynasty, between
205 and 187 BCE in the form of Keno slips that were sold to finance public
works. The first European lotteries, as we know and recognize them, took place
in fifteenth century Burgundy and Flanders. These were established to assist in
raising funds to fortify the towns and raise money for the local poor. Later,
in 1566, Queen Elizabeth I created a public
lottery
to work on necessary repairs to the harbours as well as the community’s poor.
Despite
the long history of the lottery, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the first
instant win games were created. The creation of the first scratch off game can
be credited to John Koza. During the 1950s and 60s, the
company he worked for specialised in creating promotional cards that could be
found in petrol stations and supermarkets, a winning card only had to match the
winning numbers in the newspaper and the winner could win anything from
groceries, gas or money. Hired to work
on the probability aspect of the instant win games, Koza later was fired from
his job and decided to pursue the idea of creating an instant win lottery
scratch off game, though instead of groceries, players could instead win a
substantial cash prize. Once he was able to convince lottery officials to give
it a shot, the first instant win lottery card was created in 1974 in the state
of Massachusetts. The game was called “Instant Game,” and was sold by
Scientific Games (still in business).
From Analog to the Digital World
Fast
forward to 1994 when the first online instant win games were coming out, in the
form of online casino games. The Gaming Club offered the first online casino
game play. It was created by an Isle of Man software company, Microgaming. From
there, online game play grew exponentially as technology evolved. It was not
long after that this evolution began to grow to include online lottery game
play. As online gaming grew in popularity, so too did online lottery games as
well as online scratch card games. Mobile devices have made playing online even
easier whether from the comfort of your own home or while you are on your daily
commute.
If
you like the ease and convenience of playing online from your favourite cosy
living room chair, then online games may be just the thing to check out if you
are looking to have a quick flutter. While still relatively new to the gaming
world, there is a ton of fun to explore when it comes to instant win games. Who
knows, maybe you will be the next big online winner!
