Pag-asa, Sugal, Laro, Swerte (Hope, Gambling, Gaming, Luck): Lotto-betting in a Filipino's Social Life

Abstract

This exploratory study attempted to seek the views and responses of different members of the Filipino society towards lotto-betting. This includes the lotto bettors and non-bettors, the church, the academe, and the state. Qualitative method of research through a questionnaire to interview 16 bettors and 6 non-bettors, the main respondents in this study was used. In-depth interviews of key informants from the church, academe and the state were also conducted to triangulate the data. The data gathered were analyzed and discussed using qualitative and comparative analyses, respectively. Consequently, some conclusions on people's perceptions and responses to lotto-betting were derived. In general, majority of the respondents view lotto-betting as gambling but they vary in their underlying arguments and responses for and against it. The bettors view lottobetting as pag-asa (hope). And they bet hoping to win the huge jackpot motivated by their belief in luck, cheap lotto ticket price, feelings of excitement and supportive relatives and friends as added motivators. The non-bettors on the other hand, find lotto chiefly as sugal (gambling) with slim chance of winning. They avoid lotto-betting because of the value they place on hard-earned money, religious teachings and family influences and to avoid betting addiction. The church views lotto (and all forms of gambling) as kasalanan (sin) legal or illegal they may be. Church leaders fight lotto and admonish their respective congregations to as much as possible not to engage in it. Their views and responses to lotto-betting run parallel to that of the non-lotto bettors and in contradiction to that of the bettors and of the state views, respectively. The state takes a different stand that lotto is not gambling. It finds lotto-betting as laro at kasiyahan (gaming and entertainment), a moral and legal act, that is socially beneficial. The academe evokes a more objective view and finds both beneficial and detrimental outcome in lotto-betting. In sum, the study shows that lotto-betting evokes multiple meanings and multidimensional responses from various members of the Filipino society. It is pag-asa, sugal, laro, and swerte rolled into one. Moreover, it has both positive and negative effects to Filipino social life. It is nakakatulong (beneficial) and nakakasama (detrimental) based on one's subjective experience and observation. Nevertheless, it is embedded in the Filipino's social life and it is here to stay like jueteng and basketball as a national past time.