English Version | The Wheel of Fortune

Called games of chance, the famous "scratch cards" rule kiosks and stores, conquering many with their harmless promise: all you have to do to win is scratch. But it's not enough, you need luck. And a lot of betting. The result is thousands of euros spent in vain, most of the time by those who can't spare euros willy-nilly. This is the scourge of a game that is anything but harmless.

It is five-fifteen in the afternoon on a sunny Friday. I am on the Cacilheiro, the boat that tears up the Tagus to transport those who have Cais do Sodré in Lisbon as their destination from Cacilhas. Every day, hundreds of passers-by make that meager eight-minute trip, sometimes to go to work, sometimes to come back from work. At that specific time, the boat is always more crowded. I was on my way to my ballet class; I don't know about the other passengers, since five o'clock in the afternoon is not the usual time to set sail. Sitting three seats away from me, I noticed a gentleman who, from his old and shabby shoulder bag, pulled out a scratch pad and, as the rules of the game dictate, began to scratch it wildly. It was one of those "twenty times scratch cards", which means that the amount you could win (or not) would be multiplied by twenty. This was not the case for the gentleman of about eighty years of age who, discouraged, folds the paper with no prize, placing it crudely in the pocket of a coat that had once been flannel, had once been green, and is now just an over-worn piece of clothing. Then I see him collecting another scratch card from the same bag. And then another. With less enthusiasm than the first, he slid the pennies fiercely into the said scratch cards, and, judging by his discouraged expression, nothing profitable came out of them. He added these to the one already stuffed in his coat pocket and returned to his old zipperless bag. Not satisfied, he now picks up a stack of papers, difficult to decipher at first, but which I later understand are Euromillions tickets. These would have deserved another attention, so he did little or nothing with them but put them away again religiously - if these were not his great and perhaps last hope, and they decided to disappear from the bag of their own accord. He would probably decide to deal with the Euromillions coupons in the quiet of his home, with other concentration. We arrived at Cais do Sodré. Lifting his cane (which confirms my age estimates), the gentleman's effort is now made not to let himself be knocked over by the swell caused by the Cacilheiro. To the old flannel, coat has added a pair of jeans that looked as old as their owner, some brown socks that were too Russian, and a pair of old shoes, the kind that gathers dust in the windows of those antique stores that seem lost in time. That scene broke my heart. Not exactly the unquestionable poverty of the gentleman, nor the fact that he was somewhat lame and very, very old. Going to the Cacilheiro every day is one of these things; you get used to living with and dealing with the poorer classes and the abundant misery that flanks the country's capital. What made me colossally sad was watching the despair of that gentleman as he scraped paper after paper, one scratch card after another, without getting a single euro out of him. He was probably one more fisherman of the many who, rod in hand, try their luck at the inveterate Ginjal Pier in Cacilhas. If he wasn't a fisherman, maybe he was a shoemaker. But he was certainly very poor. I didn't get to know what he was, or who he was, because, despite my attempt to approach him, the answer I received came in the form of the growl of someone upset and had better things to do than to share his bad luck at gambling (or his bad luck in life, in general) with a stranger. In an ordinary situation, I probably would not have paid the same attention to the gentleman (although "old people" is a subject that always moves me in a way I cannot explain, seeing them, alone and unprotected, is more than enough reason to fill my eyes with tears and make my heart shrivel). Only, by mere coincidence, or maybe not, I had this text in hand and noticed it. Destiny placed me side by side with an elderly man, probably in need, who would end up proving the object of study here: the Portuguese, especially those living in the most precarious conditions, have an abnormal appetite for games of chance (let's call them games of chance instead), especially the Instant Lottery, popularly known as "scratch card." Launched on July 31, 1995, the Instant Lottery emerges with the main objective of financing the State's social policies, with particular coverage in the areas of Health, Social Solidarity, Sports, and Culture. In March 2010, this assumes a new identity, under the trademark "Raspadinha." That same year, a game (no. 151) was launched with the same name - Raspadinha - which "marked the introduction of more and better prizes, planned after the tax changes already made, in October 2009, in the State's social games, when the prizes of the games ceased to be taxed under IRS," reads the website of Santa Casa Games. The problem is real and constantly debated by the Portuguese media. Público wrote last January 22 that a study published in The Lancet Psychiatric magazine showed that, on average, each Portuguese spent "160 euros a year on scratch cards, a much higher number than other Europeans." In 2021, Sábado magazine pointed out that almost 80% of scratch card players were lower and lower middle class: "A study by Santa Casa da Misericórdia reveals that it is the poorest who play the most scratch cards, representing 50% of the total number of players. Women play more than men and the great Lisbon and the center concentrate almost half of all scratch cards sold." Dinheiro Vivo, meanwhile, revealed in an article dated 2020 that the Portuguese had spent "4.7 million per day on scratch cards" and that "scratch cards are worth 51.1% of Santa Casa's total gross sales, which last year [2019] reached 3,360 million euros." Even the famous Brazilian newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, referenced this national "addiction" in a story published on its website in 2022: "Portugal goes on alert for growing number of scratchcard addicts (...) In 2021, the Portuguese disbursed about 1.5 billion euros with the game. In the same year, Spain, despite having a population four times larger, with 47.33 million inhabitants, spent half the Portuguese amount: 750 million euros."

In a tobacconist/paper shop located at door 40 of Comandante António Feio, a small and quiet street in Cacilhas, the lady at the counter confirms to me the folly of these numbers: "Miss, it is difficult to give you a precise number of how many scratch cards I sell per day, but I assure you that there are at least three hundred. Some people spend a minimum of one hundred euros a day." It should be noted that we are referring to Cacilhas, a small parish with just over six thousand inhabitants when we look at these numbers. The conversation continues and I notice in that lady's expression a feeling of nervous laughter, not because she is talking to me, a person-journalist, but because she is telling me something that even for her it is difficult to decipher, such is the insanity of the mechanics of that game. "You see, they - because they are mostly women, although today there are many men also buying [scratch cards] - instead of keeping the amount that comes out, when it comes out, they come back and exchange it once, three, ten times a day." But there's more: "Many of these people start the day by running all the tobacconists and kiosks in the neighborhood, even because often, first thing in the morning, we still don't have any cash available to exchange for the prize. We are indeed obliged to exchange it, but if we don't have it [cash] what can we do? People complain, argue with us, and then go and try their luck at the nearest tobacco shop. This is daily and it's crazy!" When talking about addictions, it is difficult to identify the profile of someone who is considered a "scratchcard addict" - not least because we are used to looking at an addict differently? This is the question that I start by posing to Alberto Lopes, neuropsychologist: "Any person, regardless of tending to other forms of addiction, can develop an addictive behavior towards gambling. Gambling addiction is a form of behavioral dependence that can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, education, or socioeconomic status. Just because a person is not prone to other forms of addiction does not mean that they are immune to developing addictive behavior toward gambling." He clarifies that the profile of someone addicted to these types of games can vary widely depending on the game and the person in question, but that it generally involves "repetitive gambling behaviors despite negative consequences, loss of control over the amount of time and money spent gambling, and persistence in gambling even when there are attempts to stop or reduce the behavior." In the specific case of scratch cards, and according to a study released by the Serviço de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Aditivos e nas Dependências (SICAD), the "epidemiological profile of the scratch card player is predominantly made up of women between the ages of 35 and 54, with monthly incomes between 500 and 1,000 euros, i.e., people with lower incomes. The result of this study also indicates that scratch card is one of the most successful games at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), with gross revenues of around 1,718 million euros, 2019 results. It also adds that the fact that scratch card "is a more accessible and easy game to play may explain its popularity among a profile more connected to digital and scratching. However, it is important to note that gambling addiction can affect people of different ages, genders, and socioeconomic levels and that this information is just a trend observed from this specific study."

There is a difference between a gambling addict and a casino addict, for example. As that neuropsychologist, who specializes in addiction issues, states, one of the main distinctions has to do with the availability and accessibility of games: "Mind you, games of chance, like the old scratch card, are widely available, socially accepted and mostly legally allowed worldwide; whereas casinos are less common and are often restricted to specific areas. In addition, the low investment and social trivialization of games of chance, such as scratch cards, may contribute to the popularity of this type of gambling, while casino gambling typically involves larger sums and can be more controlled, with people interdicting themselves and control being more in the hands of the casino." Nevertheless, both forms of gambling can be highly addictive and lead to personal, financial, and social problems. And the bigger problem is that countless times, people with financial problems due to gambling addiction do not realize the seriousness of their situation. Some are aware of the problem from the beginning, but many do not recognize the seriousness of their debts and overspending. Isn't this part of the definition of addiction, a total lack of awareness of the plot in which one is involved? Alberto Lopes corroborates, "Overall, [addiction] involves uncontrolled behavior that leads to personal, financial, and social problems." He continues: "Someone who buys a scratchcard or gambles once a week cannot automatically be considered an addict, but if this behavior begins to interfere with other areas of life, such as work or relationships, it can be a warning sign." In short, and as with any addiction, the complication is ultimately identified in the lack of control, which is also the basis of the problem, the (fine) line where the root of all evils lies. I also ask: how did scratch cards, a harmless game, become this insane phenomenon of such drastic proportions? The neuropsychologist points to more than one reason: "First, the cognitive distortion that pathological gamblers have regarding the probability of winning. They believe that the chance of winning is much higher than reality, which leads to greater adherence to gambling. Also, the fact that the game is so widespread and there are so many outlets makes it even easier to join. Another important factor is the immediate reward that scratch cards offer. Unlike games like Euromillions or the Lottery, where players have to wait a while to find out whether or not they have won, scratch cards provide an instant reward. This can increase the attraction to gambling and lead to it being seen as a harmless form of entertainment. Furthermore, the social acceptance of the game is also an important factor. Scratch cards are often seen as a fun game and even offered as a gift."

Alberto Lopes, therefore, warns that it is crucial to be alert to signs of addictive behavior toward gambling and seek specialized help if necessary, since "uncontrolled behavior towards gambling can have serious consequences, negatively affecting the personal, family, professional, and financial life of the affected person," as already mentioned. He also assures that the role of the psychologist is fundamental and that the psychologist can offer a therapeutic approach that aims to identify the underlying causes of the problem, helping the patient to understand his behavior and develop skills to deal with risky situations more healthily and functionally. In addition, the psychologist teaches how to develop effective strategies for dealing with anxiety, stress, and other emotions that may underlie addictive behavior. Of course, family involvement is important for awareness of the problem and to support the recovery process. The expert, who is also a hypnotherapist by profession, highlights the latter therapy as the most suitable technique and "unbeatable in controlling addictive behaviors as it can provide a natural, individualized and holistic approach to treating addictive personalities, helping the patient regain control over his or her life and pursue a more balanced and healthy lifestyle." While the above-quoted words make perfect sense, the big pitfall that I feel arises in this all too specific peripety that is gaming addiction (lucky or unlucky, it all depends on the outcome), relates precisely to the type of profile that is hit by this real scourge. We are facing an epidemic that is exquisitely disguised. A wolf in sheep's clothing that, like so many other plagues that plague today's society, ends up hitting who? The weakest links.Always. The poor, the elderly, the unfortunate, the homeless, the helpless, and the uninformed. Although the aforementioned statistics indicate that most scratch card players are women between the ages of 35 and 54, the people we often see in the stationery stores and kiosks scratching (and spending) like there's no tomorrow are elderly people, like that old man in old clothes I saw at the Cacilheiro. Most of the time, this is a class of people who not only don't have access to privileged information that would make them, for example, question or become aware that it's a problem to spend every day a lot of money that you don't have on a game that is more disappointing than rewarding; but also, decidedly, groups of people who have neither the means nor the surrounding environment to seek external help to get out of the hamster wheel they are in. Not least because the players themselves not only do not recognize it but most likely do not have the faintest idea that they have a problem. Problem? But what problem? After all, it is "only" a scratch card.

Translated from the original on The Good Luck Issue, published March 2023.Full stories and credits on the print issue.