The first official lottery, with monetary prizes, appears in the Low Countries during the fifteenth century. Towns held public lotteries to raise money for the poor and for fortifications. Some states considered it a civic duty and used the proceeds to build churches and universities. The Massachusetts lottery, for example, raised funds for a major military expedition to Canada.

An official lottery is a lottery that is sanctioned by a government body and run by a duly authorized representative. It also has specific rules and regulations to ensure fairness to players. In Connecticut, for example, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation runs the official lottery. It sells fanfolded lottery tickets with a common Pack Number.

Purchasing an official lottery ticket is easy and secure. The best lottery agents are licensed and regulated, and they send you a scanned copy of your ticket. You can buy tickets through a lottery agent, but it’s best to purchase tickets from the official lottery website. Purchasing tickets from an official lottery website is safer than from lottery agents or betting sites.

The official lottery of North Carolina is called the North Carolina Education Lottery. A portion of the proceeds from the lottery goes directly to education programs. Since 2005, the lottery has raised more than $5 billion for education. Currently, 30% of the lottery proceeds go to the state’s education fund. The North Carolina lottery offers three in-house draw games and three multi-state games. The lottery is broadcast live on six television stations in the state.