The Indonesian Lottery
The lottery in Indonesia has a long history. Its origins date back to the early nineteenth century, when the government started to manage prize draw coupons by following the model of Singapore and the UK. However, the system was never as successful as those in the two countries, because the organs of the state always took a large portion of the funds.
In Indonesia, the lottery is considered a form of gambling and the government does not tolerate illegal gambling. If caught, gamblers are punished severely. In many cases, they are caned in front of others. The government is especially strict about this when it comes to minors.
Despite the fact that shio lottery results often result in a net loss for villagers, it remains popular among people in rural Flores. People often talk about it in their daily conversations. The shio lottery is also an arena for discussing dreams and interpreting omens that occur in their daily lives. These interpretations are not new, but the shio lottery provides them with a foreign, relatively novel lens for understanding these experiences.
The ultra religious people that wanted to ban the lotto game claimed that poor people were spending too much money on tickets, but these claims were not checked with actual numbers and facts and were merely used as an excuse. However, even though the local lottery was banned, Indonesians can still play online lottery games on portals that are not regulated by the government. They can buy USA or European lottery tickets with big jackpots and have fun doing so.