September 26, 2008

The numbers game

This is the Lotto outlet outside our neighborhood supermarket. The Philippine lottery games are run by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), a government institution, and right now there are five national games to choose from. There are also a few games available only to certain regions. Almost all of the funds raised by the PCSO are used for free medical and health services for the country's poor, whether for direct medical assistance for individuals—I have a friend whose wife's chemotherapy was paid for by the PCSO—or for buying or upgrading medical equipment in public and charity hospitals. And, yes, I do play the lottery sometimes—when I remember to bring my card when I go to this supermarket. Not getting a new card is my way of controlling myself—it is a form of gambling, after all. How about you? Does your country have a lottery and do you play?

Lotto outlet

8 comments:

Webradio said...

Hello Hilda ?
And if You win, you make the world tour ???
Smile.
See You later.

Olivier said...

c'est bien que les fonds servent pour les soins médicaux.
Aujourd'hui en Europe, il y a la grande loterie avec un gain de 130 millions d'euro, cela fait rêver...Bon Weekend

it is that the funds used for medical care.
In Europe today, there is a lottery with a gain of 130 million euros, this is a dream ... Good Weekend

Anonymous said...

In the UK we have the National Lottery, and a percentage of its profits go to "good causes". They wouldn't use it for standard medical care though. Currently I think they are diverting a lot of the money to the 2012 Olympics. I don't play personally - the odds are so terrible I figure I'd have more money at the end of the year if I put £1 under my bed every week. So I'd have £52 at the end of the year, whereas on the lottery I'd probably have just spent £52 and won nothing!

Hope said...

We have lotteries and some of the money even goes to help with college scholarships. But, I never play. My dad, though, likes to play.

marley said...

What Jackie said regarding our Lottery! I play in a syndicate at work, but we never win more than £10!

Tonight we have the Euro Lottery with a jackpot of £100 million! It is the biggest lottery prize anywhere in the world! Fingers crossed I win :)

Unknown said...

Yes, like Olivier said, today we had the '130 million euros' european lottery!... apart from that we also have some more on a national level.

Hilda, regarding your comment on my today's post:
Sorry if I made you think sea level was so much higher... That was not my intention... :-)
The thing is: the 1st photo shows the erosion made by seawater in winter or when the tides are crazy like they have been this month (2nd photo).
Anyway, as I walk almost everyday by the seashore and know some parts of this coast pretty well, I can garatee you that after every winter I notice new rocks have fallen from the cliffs due to stormy tides!... and that, yes, can be scary when you think what it will be from now on... specially when I hear that another huge iceberg is melting!

• Eliane • said...

Hilda, mi amiga! Sorry I haven't visited sooner your lovely blog this week - it's been one of those weeks.

I've played a couple of times, usually there's somebody at work asking every one for $1. But I am terrible: I always forget to check if I won anything. Who knows? You might be reading a comment by a mega-millionaire? ;)

Layrayski said...

I have bought my lotto ticket once or twice, but I stopped. I had my head in the clouds with all the dreams of riches that it became too painful. Hahaha.