If Abraham Lincoln had been able to choose Illinois lottery numbers to win millions, would he have done anything differently' He started his public career as a postmaster so the money would have come in handy to help raise his family. It would also have given him a chance to do more for the state of Illinois as well as for the nation.

Would Honest Abe have gone on the web and used an analysis website to help him pick the winning numbers or would he have considered it cheating' Or maybe he would have made extra money by becoming one of the businesses that work with the state to provide goods and services. The money that is used to pay these businesses is part of the proceeds from the lottery.

Part of the goal of the Illinois lottery is to work with businesses and organizations that help people in need, educate citizens about gambling problems, and improve the health care of residents. Would these have been the same things Lincoln used some of the money for' Once he became president he would surely have used some of that money to help support the war, or at least to fund freeing the slaves.

The Illinois lottery numbers bring in $2.7 billion every year. With 60% going to pay out winnings that is still quite a bit that could have helped Mr. Lincoln fund the projects that he felt were the most important. If he needed even more he could have used the funds raised by the instant games that are used to help with special causes including breast cancer research, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.

Of course, if the lottery had been around during the Civil War era life would probably not be the same in the United States as it is now. Perhaps gambling would be the professional sport named for the city of Chicago instead of baseball, soccer, football, basketball and hockey. At least that would do away with the White Sox and Cubs rivalries!

You have to wonder if the South would have seceded at all if lotteries were available. They may have felt it was in their interest to remain with the rest of the nation, if only to take part in the lotteries. The richest people at that time tended to be plantation owners. This was a type of gambling itself; the gamble of the crops and the gamble of avoiding an uprising by the slaves. This would have seemed a safer and easier form of gambling if it had been available.

Looking at all the money that is brought in from the Illinois lottery numbers, and the good works it does for the citizens, Abraham Lincoln would probably not only have played the state lottery, he may have implemented a national one as well.