Lottery has been played since ancient times. The word lottery is derived from the Italian world "lotto" which means destiny or fate. Lottery is a form of gambling where many people buy tokens or tickets to participate in the draw. A percentage of the revenue generated is offered as prize money to the few who are selected as winners. There is considerable excitement amongst participants on the dates when lottery results are drawn.

In the United States, most lotteries are conducted and administered by individual states. The well- known US lotteries are 2by2, Hot Lotto, Lotto South, MEGA Millions, Powerball, Tri-State Lottery and Wild Card 2. Different lottery organizers choose different methods to inform participants about the results. Lottery results are displayed on local newspapers and cable TV. Some lotteries announce their results on various community radios. The Internet is by far the most reliable source of information regarding the results of lotteries. All the big and well- known lotteries in the US have their own Web sites where they display the numbers drawn, prize amounts and winners names. There are also many third party sites that offer links to check the results of lotteries conducted in various states. Apart from offering results, some sites also allow the users to play for free and offer advice on how to beat the odds.

People who try their luck out with lotteries have to keep track of results and promptly claim the prize money, if they win. This is because most lotteries have a limited period after the results are drawn, within which the prize has to be claimed.