The trend among Maltese lotto players to bet on numbers connected to tragedies or anniversaries appears to have no historical explanation but numbers are culturally important in contemporary Malta, according to anthropologist Mark Anthony Falzon.
You try to defeat chance by using chance itself as your weapon
“Take the political aspect: there is always a number related to an election – 13,000 brings to mind the 1998 election (won by as many votes) and 51 brings to mind the 1981 election (when the Nationalist Party polled 51 per cent of the votes).
“When it comes to hunting, it is quite common to hear a hunter ask ‘Did you see millions today?’ in relation to the common perception that millions of birds are killed during the hunting season,” Dr Falzon said.
The anthropologist was contacted after the total winnings of the lotto draw shot up to four times the average after the deaths of a young priest and four fireworks enthusiasts the previous Sunday inspired punters to try their luck on numbers linked to the events.
At €1.1 million, raked in by a total of 4,500 players, it was one of the highest prize money totals distributed in the Saturday lotto history.
It is customary in Malta for lottery players to bet on numbers related to people they hold close to their heart, such as their age, anniversary or other significant events.
“When it comes to lotto and bidding, we find it difficult to understand the concept of chance and randomness,” Dr Falzon said, arguing that such trends are ways to make sense and find patterns in the game of chance.
“Playing lotto is a rational paradox in itself... you draw up a list of numbers, which have a particular significance to you, but, at the same time, you’re playing a game that you hope is random.”
He believes there are three types of numbers people bet on. Some scurry to lotto booths with a list related to personal biographies of relatives and friends.
“Birth and death dates in themselves are random, so, in this way, you try to defeat chance by using chance itself as your weapon,” Dr Falzon said.
The second type of numbers is collective biographies, where people bid on numbers related to national tragedies or a series of episodes, such as the dockyard tragedy – when nine workers died in a tanker explosion in 1995 – or a tsunami death toll.
The third is a random pick and people bet on numbers they dream up or the number plate of a passing car, for instance.
Although there is a contemporary cultural link with numbers, there seems to be no historical connection in Malta that would explain this behaviour.
But lotto has become part of our culture. When a person is fined or receives the water and electricity bill, there is always someone ready to tell you “ilgħabhom lottu ħej” (play the numbers).