Each Portuguese spent 160 euros last year on raspadinhas, an instant prize game consisting of scraping the hidden numbers or symbols of a ticket. The Spanish, for example, spent 14 euros in the same game. Raspadinha fever , created in 2010, is becoming a national epidemic, according to a study by two doctors from Braga Hospital published this week in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study of doctors Daniela Valverde and Pedro Morgado, Scratching the surface of a neglected threat: huge growth of Instant Lottery in Portugal echoes the increase in consultations in the Portuguese hospital because of the addiction to this game of luck that does not It needs no wisdom, it is instant and cheap. Tickets cost from one to ten euros, in line with the amount of prizes that can be obtained. Vice, in addition, is ubiquitous, tickets are sold in kiosks, tobacconists, stationery stores, bars ... because for them it is also a source of extra income.
The responsibility of this game lies with the Holy House of Mercy, the most important charitable institution in the country, which has a monopoly on gaming in Portugal. The Holy House - also the first property owner - has created the raspadinha and, at the same time, a telephone support line to cure addicts, who have doubled in the last two years, at the same rate as the collection of game. The service received in 2016, 76 calls asking for psychological support, in 2018 they were already 135. The Santa Casa takes up to 44% of the prize to finance their social activities, some of them related to the addiction to the game created by itself.
The raspandinha supposes to the Holy House 51% of all the collection of the games that it administers, more than 1,600 million euros. Far behind is the collection of Euromillions (805 million euros) and the classic lottery (46 million), although in the past lotteries were installed with tenths imported from the Spanish Christmas lottery.
Although this instant scratch-scratch existed since 1995, it was 10 years ago, with the name change and a redesign of the tickets that the raspadinha began to capture the addiction of Portuguese players. The authors of the study criticize the lack of regulation for this type of game, which they consider very addictive for their characteristics and ask for a limitation in the sale of tickets.
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