This game is over 500 years old, probably even older, and you said you know aristocrats were playing it early on. At what point did it shift and become more of a game for common people?

It shifted when Don Clemente arrived in Mexico and well–the soldiers were very popular people. They were not from the high societies so Lotería spread out in the fairs and in the little towns, by the soldiers that were taking care of the cities at that time. So they would put their kids to play the Lotería. The soldiers would go on the train and it was the first time that it was widespread. So it went to every corner of Mexico. All the families used to play Lotería when they didn’t have anything to do. For example, when we were kids, we wanted to go swimming but the thing is that we had just eaten breakfast and we couldn’t swim because of digestion. So our parents would tell us, okay well, if you want to swim you have to play Lotería first. We would finish playing Lotería, then we could go swimming.

Lotería was played in churches, it was played in schools, homes, in grandparent’s houses, so it was a game to be around with family. Together, around with family, or with friends. And there are a lot of places here in Mexico that they play and gamble with Lotería. Initially, it was played with stones or rocks, then with beans. But in some parts of Mexico, Lotería is played with money, or with coins. So the person who wins or shouts out the Lotería word is the one that takes all the money. But this is in Monterrey. They can play with three or four boards at the same time, which is more difficult to play. Imagine playing with four boards at the same time. So they know by memory the number, or the name, or the image. The people over there are very well trained.

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