White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-09-21
LOTTO IS POPULAR
AMONG ITALIAN POOR
State Gets Revenue From
the Weekly Drawings.

playing state lotto-has lost its hold
on all but the poorer players. 1t Is
true that thousands play in different
cities, but the frenzy of prewar play
ers, ready to stake everything on their
weekly gamble, has disappeared. Gam
bling in the weekly lotto remains the
most popular game for the poor, who
cannot afford to attend the races. At
the same time 1t continues to be to-
day one of the greatest sources of
revenue the state has. 1t has been
called the tax on the poor, as by means
Of it very substantial revenue Is
taken In.
Every week In Rome there are as
many as 10000 players, and the num-
Der has never sunk below 100000.
The district where most playing is
done is Castro Pretoria, where there
are the cavalry barracks. Recently
1O3,832 persons spent 301,13S lire
about three lire each. The minimum
play is 80 centimes a number.
Hold Weekly Drawings.
The poor play because for nearly
week they are buoyed up with the
hope of winning. The demon Of
chance lures them to take what they
often cannot afford on the numbers
which they either dreamed of or have
been told about. Even when they lose
they do not become discouraged, and
play again and again.
The next district where the lotto is
popular is the Monte, third Campo
Marizio, in the very center of Rome.
Trastevere, the popular quarter, plays
less.
The weekly lotto is drawn in pal
ace in the center of Rome, close to
the Piazza Colonna in the Street of
Humility.
At two o'clock on the balcony is
fixed glass barrel with handle to
turn it around. About half an hour
later an orphan boy from one of the
state asylums appears, and with him
two or three officials of the lotto ad-
ministration to guarantee the honesty
of the drawing. With great solemnity
tAO AulhOOAS RlAulSu VII pupCl dtC
called and shown and then wrapped
in lead covering exactly similar each
to the other Ninety numbers are
called, wrapped and thrown into the
barrel.
The excitement begins as the last
three numbers, SO, 80, and &c. 60 into
the barrel. The boy is blindfolded be-
fore he grasps the handle. He turns
until all the numbers have been well
mixed. Then he raises his hand so
that the waiting crowd below can see
that 1t is empty, puts in his hand and
takes out the first number 1t is un-
wrapped by the man on his right, who
reads out and calls, "First extract"
such and such q number. He con-
tinues until five numbers have been
drawn. This procedure is followed in
the other seven cities of the wheel
Bari, Florence, Milan, Naples, Paler.
mo, Turin, and Venice-each having
its own administration, dependent
upon the main one in Rome.
There are various ways of playing.
Some people have system by which
they make limited income by playing
every week. It is cabalistic calcula.
ton reached after studying the list of
numbers which won during the year.
By certain deductions they judge that
others will come out certain num-
Der of times during the year. Some.
times the government has large in
take when numerous players choose
certain numbers which fail to be
drawn
Play Method Varies.
The manner of playing differs ac-
cording to the amount one wishes to
stake. The player may stake upon
one, two, three, four or five numbers,
either for one ruota or for all of them
OF course, the amount won is greater
If only one ruota or wheel is played.
In the case Of No. 10 the player staked
it not only in the special city where
1t would be drawn, but also to earn
more when 1t would be drawn, either
first, second, third, fourth. or fifth.
Some in order to be sure to win al
something played 1t ''senza posto";
that is wherever it was drawn he was
to win a small amount. The magic
word used for two numbers is lam.
bo," three is ''terno," four "quater.
no." and five ''cinquina." Where two
numbers are played the nominal prize
won is 20 per cent, according to the
amount played. Where three num-
bers win it is 80 per cent on the
amount staked, and four numbers Is
double that, while for "cinQuina,'
which ra ely comes out, the amount
won is double of "quaternO."
Romans have favorite numbers. the
most popular of all are 10, 8 and 25.
the feasts of the Madonna. The three
numbers most played are 8, Is and GU.
all connected with her festivals When
these come out there is great jubila
ton in the poorer quarters of the city.
and sums varying from 81 to $40 are
paid, according to the amount staked
The state assigns about $4,000 to cover
its losses on each number. Recently
In Rome over 1000 persons played
these lucky numbers and won. In
order to pay this money to the win.
ners of every lotto, the state bank.
the Banca d'Italia, has opened spe
cial payment office.
To gain an idea of what the lotto
brought in in revenue some 80 years
ago, one must glance at statistics of
that time, when the weekly gamble
was not only of the poor. as 1t is to-
day. but of all classes. The state