250 years of Mexican Lottery
The Mexican Lottery can’t match its northern counterparts in terms of amounts awarded and it is hard to believe that its jackpots will outshine the ones awarded by the Powerball or Mega Millions. On the other hand, it has an impressive history with the first draw being held almost 250 years ago in 1770. Over the course of time, new games were added into the mix and the final version incorporates all of them and goes by the name of Lotería Nacional de Mexico.
Six games make up the Mexican Lottery
The six games that comprise the Mexican Lottery are known as Melate, Gana Gato, Revancha, Tris Extra, Chipazo and Tris Clásico. Not all these games are governed by the same rules and some look more like raffles than traditional lotteries, but that’s what makes them special and so popular within borders. The draws are held every week and players get to choose whether they prefer tickets that have the numbers inscribed on them, or choose them manually. These are similar choices to what Powerball and Mega Millions players need to make, with most of them settling for the Quick Pick feature for celerity.
Only a portion of the money collected goes towards fueling the prizes, with a part being directed to good causes, taxes or operational fees. There are special draws held throughout the year with the most important ones revolving around the winter holidays. Players focus on the Christmas and New Year´s Eve as well as the draws celebrating Independence Day and Mother’s Day when the prizes are boosted. The El Gordito draw costs 100 pesos and the potential payout is $2.5 million and the best thing about this draw is that it takes place on a monthly basis, on Wednesday.
The history of the Mexican Lottery
Introduced in 1770 by the King of Spain, Charles the III, the first games grew ever more popular and are now enjoyed by millions of Mexicans every week. The transition to the modern form of lottery took time and small steps were made in the following years after the first draw was held on May 13th, 1771. It was during the Independence War that Viceroy Felix Maria Calleja decided to create an additional lottery, with the two of them serving the capital and the states. The goal was to earn enough money to fuel the war efforts and this objective was met, thanks to the support of the population.
The modern Mexican Lottery is called Lotería Nacional para la Asistencia Pública and just as the name suggests, one of its goals is to raise money for social causes. During 1998 and 2001 the lottery became a member of the North American State and Provincial Lotteries Association and this pushed its growth into overdrive. Lottery officials are introducing new games every year, while promoting existing ones just as aggressively and the results are encouraging as each year the previous record is shattered.
Check out The future of the Russian lottery as well.
