Have you ever heard of Baraja de Loteria? Is a Mexican style of Bingo. In my culture, I have been taught how to play this in my childhood. My family would play Loteria during Christmas or New years. It would be always where the whole family when gets together to play. This game is for all ages to play since it would be used as an educational tool where younger children can learn Spanish. For me, it was a way I would be able to learn Spanish as I am a bilingual child. In the Loteria card, you would see 16 rectangles that would show a pictured character with the names on it. My parents would want me and my siblings to play so we can learn how to read, write and say each card out loud.
However, this game would bring tension to families since many would like to play a certain way. It would usually be played for money. They would bet with money and whoever say “Loteria” with all of their cards filled would win and would receive the money.
How to play?
As I said earlier, Loteria is quite similar to Bingo. The rules are easy: first, gather boards and deck cards, as well as at least three participants or more. The more, the merrier!! You should start with a board of your choice. When they read your card aloud, you would make a mark on your board. Traditionally, we would mark locations with raw beans but it can be marked with anything else. There were points where me and my family would grab a piece of sheet of paper and crumbles it as marked sports. Once everyone is ready, one individual will be in charge of announcing the deck’s cards. And yes, they can also be participating in the game.
The game might go like this “El gallo” (the chicken), and then players would make sure they have a chicken in their board. Often people would not simply say the card deck, instead they would make rhymes or noises jut so people can engage in trying to identify the animal, person or thing. But the good thing is that the cards have illustrations and it often helps. Lastly, once you have your board all marked up, then you can yell “Loteria”. And that how you win your first game. In the end whether you lose or win, people are engage and mostly up too playing another round. The fun part about this games is that all ages are allowed to play!
Teachings
Loteria is a popular method for teaching youngsters how to speak and comprehend Spanish. Many Mexicans would frequently let their younger children play Loteria with them in order to expose them to Spanish terminology. My parents treated me the same way. They felt it would be a fun method for me and my sister to practice our Spanish because we have difficulty pronouncing things. However, because the visuals would be basic and I would be introducing the cards, there would be a lot of repetition, making it easy to grasp and pronounce. Not only would it be entertaining, but it would be unnecessary for youngsters to have any understanding of Spanish. Loteria has become so large that they have made several versions that are appealing to youngsters, as well as novels based on it. Is bringing the American style of marketing because their audience is children and parents want to make learning entertaining for their children.
How America Lottery influences Mexican Loteria
As observing the impact of American lotteries on the commercialization of Mexican Loteria. As we have seen, there has been an increase in branded lotteries games that contain character, celebrity, or popular themes. This strategy is frequently employed in American lottery marketing to attract a larger audience and increase sales.
In addition to their cross-cultural awareness, they have gained international fame and appeal. The American lottery has also been played in México, and more people are becoming aware of the games. As a result, they may affect Mexican Loteria by bringing new ideas and concepts from the American lottery that connect with Mexican players.
Adapting to the Modern World
Lotera became famous as a meme during the pandemic. The “LA ESCALERRRAA” meme has made Loteria an enjoyable game to play. The pandemic was a period when family, friends, and individuals were supposed to stay indoors. Many people became exhausted since it was a constant part of everyday life. The Mexican family, on the other hand, discovered a means to entertain themselves. They would waste hours of their time playing Loteria.
Because of the meme, younger generations began to participate in Loteria. Mostly because many people wanted to repeat that statement when they announced the deck of cards. However, the market had reached a new high. Each time, there would be a distinct variation of Loteria, usually for a specific generation or occasion.
Different Versions of Lotertia