“You Bet Your...” Gambling in Spain

For my Dad's birthday, just like Father's Day last year, I decided to buy him a lottery ticket. This time I chose an organization that sells lottery tickets for a good cause.

ONCE is very popular here. The vendors, who almost all have a disability of some kind, walk around wearing chains of lottery tickets around their neck. The 5-digit numbers that passerby spot can lead to an impulsive buy if they contain one or any combination of their lucky numbers. My friend spotted a vendor so I seized the chance to buy her number, too. Our tickets cost 5 euros each.

Besides lotteries involving buying tickets, in Jaén there are umpteen Salon de juegos (Gambling rooms). I am the type that enjoys gambling once in a while; I once went to Las Vegas alone and ended up having a great time attending lessons on craps and blackjack. However, these Jaén salons aren't my thing. It's simply machines and televisions to bet on races, and of course, a bar. I prefer tables, dealers, and interacting with the crowd.

Some of my favourite nights in my Canadian hometown consisted of dressing up, going to the casino, and enjoying a drink and live music before hitting the Russian Roulette or craps tables. I never made large bets, but it was just as exciting to see my $20 grow with a roll of the dice or a spin of the wheel.

It was the same when my friend texted saying we'd won 6 euros on ONCE. Upon redemption, I walked from the ONCE booth looking forward to using my winnings on dinner. You can bet I'll be playing again soon!

El Día del Padre

Everyone loves receiving money, not least of all as a gift. I figured it would make a perfect present for Father's Day. But instead of giving straight-up cash, I bought a lottery ticket in Spain for the first time.

I chose the lotto for Dad's present because I have memories of him and Mom buying a ticket every week. I don't believe in throwing my money away like that, but their belief was, “If you don't play, you won't win for sure. If you try, who knows?” Although when I multiply their $2 - $4 weekly spending habit by the number of years they played.... ouch.

In Spain there are a ton of choices to play the lottery: La Primitiva, El Gordo, EuroMilliones... I did a lot of reading on the internet, before braving my first journey into the Lottery Office. I actually had to go twice; the first time I went in, there was a lineup and I didn't want an audience while struggling to make myself understood to the clerk. So I returned in the afternoon when no one was there. The guy at the desk could tell I was new to playing, and spoke slowly. “Buena suerte,” he said as I left.

I could tell Dad was excited when I told him about my present. Usually, his emails are short and terse: “Thanks for the birthday wishes. I didn't do anything for my birthday.” or “Thank you for your email. Take care.” But this time, he wrote an entire paragraph about the benefits of trying your luck, and he even used an exclamation mark!

I think I picked the right present.