Lottery games have been a part of society for centuries. The Bible and ancient manuscripts can allude to lottery history. Records show that lotteries were played as early as 205 to 187 BC. Old literature such as the Iliad by Homer mention lots being drawn as a way to determine which warrior was going to fight in battle. The word lottery have two various origins. It can be attributed to the Dutch word "loterij" which comes from their noun lot meaning "fate". It would have also come from the Italian word "lotto", also meaning "fate".Lottery history mentions the Dutch as the first people to give away solely money prizes for winning the game. The money collected from these lotteries was used for various country purposes such as upgrading defenses and the creation of roads and buildings. At around 1566, the first recorded official lottery was held by the English. Its prizes included valuable commodities at that time such as silver plates. Seeing the popularity of the game, the royalties instituted the English State Lottery. It was one of the sources of income for the country and has even funded the creation of art houses such as the British Museum in London.