I Hate the Lottery
April 10th, 2006 by MarkWhatever demented individual who came up with the Taiwanese recipt lottery should be shot. There isn’t a single more evil institution anywhere. No matter how many times I tell myself that “playing lotteries” is stupid and that I want no part in it, it does no good.
At 7-11
店員:您要一個袋子嗎?
Me:不用.
店員:八十塊…找你一百…
Me: 發票不用.
店員: 你可以完lottery啊. 上次我中了! …一千塊ㄝ!
Me: 好吧.
Since everybody’s automatically over-taxed, and part of the sales tax revenues go into the recipt lottery, I get lottery numbers and a chance to win every time I buy anything at any legal business. Sure, I’ve decided it’s not even worth my time to count the recipts, but I still can’t make my self throw them out when any one of them just might be worth two million bucks.
Late at night:
Me: (thinking) Hmm… I guess I should get to bed.
Recipt: Psst! It’s getting a little crowded here in the recipt drawer! You should check to see if we’re winners.
Me: I’m tired. Leave me alone.
Recipt: You only have until the the 5th, and then we all expire.
Me: So?
Recipt: Remember that one student at Shida who had the recipt to win the grand prize, but didn’t realize it until 2 days after the lottery?
Me: Buzz off! That’s just an urban myth. Besides, I never win anything.
Recipt: You won $200 台幣 last time, and I might be worth $2 million…
Me: Arrgh! Fine, fine, FINE!
Then, whenever a deadline is approaching, or whenever I just get too sick of having so many damned recipts on the shelf, I just can’t take it anymore. Then, I waste an hour counting them all. Here’s a pick of my desk during that process last week:
![[Load Image From Backup]](javascript:sReq('lottery-swap:Lottery_Tickets.jpg:375:500')){kind=link}
Lottery TicketsHosted on Zooomr
How much did I win this time? Nothing.
:
April 11th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
I think the Taiwanese system is quite clever, compared to the PRC’s scratch-off sweepstakes receipts. (I’ve never won either.)
April 11th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Clever, in a diabolical way, yes. How does the PRC one work?
April 11th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Years ago, almost everyone used to win something. It was common to win 500, or even over a thousand NTD, but for about the last five years I have not won a cent. I suspect the budget deficit has played a role in changing the probabilities.
April 11th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
On one of my first days in Taiwan, I had a lady chase after me for half a block with a receipt in her hand going “mister, mister, you forget, you forget” for my 18NT$ can of diet coke.
I looked at her, a bit scared, and said quietly - “I don’t need the receipt”, to which she responded with a very slow you-listen-to-me-you-ignorant-young-waiguoren “no, sir, you take, very important, very important, you will see”.
It took me a while to understand this crazy lottery nonsense is what’s happening with those receipts. The whole thing is just weird.
April 12th, 2006 at 1:51 am
Mark,
In the PRC, along with your itemized printout receipt you’re given these coupon-looking things with a scratch-off box. They come in denominations of 20, 50, and 100, I think (?), so they only come with larger purchases. Supposedly you can win stuff, but all I’ve ever seen is “谢谢您”. Anyway, your receipt is only valid if the scratch-off box is untouched.
April 12th, 2006 at 6:24 am
I was at a bar once in Hangzhou and someone won something like 500RMB from his receipt. I still scratch the things when I get them (but I almost never get them) and have had nothing but the same results as John.
April 12th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Before I knew about the lottery, I threw the receipts away. Ah, those were innocent times. Now, I have to stop myself from stealing the receipts that are offered up for donation in those plexiglass boxes. Oh, cruel addiction, when will you leave me?
@Clyde: Really? We usually win 4,000 to 6,000 NT every 2months. Must be the shops you frequent…
April 12th, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Patrick, I think If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. You have restored my faith that the system is fixed. Maybe I’m just not buying enough?!?!
April 13th, 2006 at 12:14 am
My old co-worker, Mike W., always counted out at least three or four winners at the end of each cycle… all the more justification for the title of my post!
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Just so you know: I think it was in the 60s in Taiwan, a lot of businesses kept several sets of books (or didn’t keep one, meaning they had no sales). Because sales tax was based on sales, and everybody showed they had no sales, the government wanted a way to make the businesses give out receipts, and the buyers to demand receipts, hence there will be a tax basis.
So a receipt lottery system was set up. This way, customers would insist on getting a receipt for their purchase, the vendors will have to pay the taxes (because receipts exist), and some lucky customer will be rewarded by winning money from the lottery.
It may be crazy and weird, but that was the reason.
November 22nd, 2006 at 5:59 pm
I’m familiar with the history behind the lottery, and I think it was a great idea! I’m just irked because I don’t win anymore. From everyone I’ve talked to, it’s gotten harder and harder over the last few years… so hard, in fact, that some people are giving up on bothering to ask for recipts.
November 23rd, 2006 at 8:59 am
the coffers of the Realm increased by a whopping NT200 the last drawing. I’m sold. If you don’t want your receipts, save them and give them to me.
November 23rd, 2006 at 2:02 pm
I don’t play anymore because I’m not convinced it’s worth the extra 15 second wait every time I buy anything (which is like 6 times a day). It’s definitely not worth waiting for all the receipts just so I can give them to you!
December 7th, 2007 at 2:42 am
i know this article is old but i wanted to relate my experience. i was in Taoyuan at a 7-11 when approached by a guy at the door on my way out. i’d seen him before - he’s mildly retarded. he’d hold his hand out and people would give him their receipts as a kind of charity. the customer before me gave him his, and i passed, putting mine in my pocket. later i found that receipt from that store was consecutively the next number after a big winning receipt. guess who got it?
December 7th, 2007 at 2:50 am
Wow. That’s great!