If you want to win the official lottery, you’ll need to wait for the official drawing. These draw dates vary from lottery to lottery, so be sure to check the official lottery’s website to find out when the next drawing will take place. You can also find drawing dates on public access television and retailers’ websites.

There are many benefits to buying your tickets online. Online lottery retailers can scan your ticket and scan your account automatically. You can also purchase several tickets at once. And, because you won’t have to deal with a salesperson, you can choose your numbers yourself. This way, you can avoid the hassle of driving to a store to buy your ticket.

The first lottery with money prizes emerged in the Low Countries during the fifteenth century. Towns in the area held public lotteries to raise money for poor people and other important public purposes. These public lotteries were a popular alternative to taxes. The oldest continuously operating lottery is the Staatsloterij of the Netherlands, which was created in 1726. The English word lottery is derived from the Dutch word “lot”, which means “fate.”

The official lottery in North Carolina was introduced in 2005. Officially known as the North Carolina Education Lottery, the lottery’s proceeds go to a state education fund. To date, the lottery has contributed $5.5 billion to educational programs. Currently, the state lottery features three in-house games and a few multi-state games. The games are broadcast live on six television stations.