In 1963, New Hampshire Gov. John King signed a bill establishing the first legal state-operated lottery of the modern age.
State Rep. Larry Pickett had proposed a sweepstakes bill five times, hoping to raise funds for education. Despite opposition from churches and the federal government, Pickett persisted and finally won the support of the governor and influential newspaperman William Loeb.
The winning lottery ticket was based on the outcome of a thoroughbred race at Rockingham Park. The first New Hampshire Sweepstakes race, held on Sept. 12, 1964, was broadcast on ABC-TV’s “Wide World of Sports” and attracted international media attention and thousands of spectators from all over the East Coast.
Other states quickly followed New Hampshire’s example, and today 44 of the 50 states have individual state lotteries.
N.H. Historical Society