The first recorded lottery in England took place in the late 1560s. Commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I, it was intended to raise funds for the repair of harbours and other public works. Some 400,000 tickets were made available at 10 shillings each, which was rather expensive for the average citizen.

In a letter, the queen wrote that the first prize would be £5,000 – or around £2m today, according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator – including £3,000 in ready money, £700 in plates and the remainder in tapestries and linen cloth.