CHRISTMAS LOTTERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 309, 31 December 1930, Page 6

CHRISTMAS LOTTERIES.

In Spain and; the countries of Latin America lotteries are a recognised institution, the funds for the maintenance of hospitals, orphan asylums and other charities being often raised in this way. But perhaps the most important of all is the great Christmas drawing in Madrid, the first two prizes of which thk year amounted in English money to about £333,000 each. In Buenos Ayres ateo especially large prizes are allotted to the Christmas drawings; although not eo large as those of Madrid, they still run into sis figures. The drawings take place in public. At one in Mexico City, at which the writer was present, a number of small balls, about the eize of marbles, each one with a number inscribed on it, were enclosed in a large transparent glass globe. The globe was first rotated by means of a lever in order to thoroughly mix the balls; then a boy about ten years old, with his sleeves rolled up above the elbows, thrust his Jiand into an opening in the globe and took out a ball at random, exhibiting to the audience the number inscribed on it. These balls, each of which was perforated in the centre, were then strung on a slender rod until the prize number was completed, every action taking place in complete view of the assembled spectators. The idea of employing a young boy is evidently to prevent all suspicion of fraud, but it also has its drawbacks, as wa,a shown during the recent drawing at Madrid, when the boy became confused and shouted out the wrong amount—a mistake which almost led to a riot. The drawing of the "gordo," or big prize, is an important event in Latin American countries, and is the object of as much excitement and speculation as the Derby race in England. It is not necessary to buy a whole ticket, as in the more important drawings they - can be divided into eighths, or even smaller fractions. The sale of lottery tickets is a lucrative source of income to boys who sell them in the streets; the sellers of newspapers also deal in them as a side line, and there are in fact shops in the larger cities which sell nothing else but lottery tickets. -

Although such elaborate precautions are taken to prevent fraud in the drawing of the winning numbers, it is whispereu that there are other methods of manipulating the winning numbers, or at least of "faking" the chances, besides the mere act of drawing the numbers, although in the case of large public lotteries it is to be presumed that the buyers are safeguarded against any such manoeuvres. In other respects, however, the lottery has a demoralising influence. The tickets are not difficult of imitation and are sometimes forced bv unscrupulous individuals and then sold to unsuspecting buyers. And when other unscrupulous individuals, formerly in the depths of poverty, astonish their friends by spending monev freely, they may account for their sudden acquisition of wealth (which in many instances is not honestly come by) by explaining that they have won the "gordo" in the public lottery. —J. D- LECKIE.