8th grade. Unit 3. Lesson 6. Lotteries

👉Communicative area: speaking about the advantages and disadvantages of lotteries

👉Active vocabulary: generous, to raise money, records, to record, a fund, to take a break from the rat race

Discuss the questions in pairs. 

1. What is a lottery? 

2. What lotteries are popular in Belarus? 

3. Why do people play lotteries? 

4. Have you ever played one? 

 5. Have you ever won anything? 

6. What is a jackpot? 

7. What will you do if you win the jackpot?

Choose the right follow-up for the sentences. 

1. When did people start playing lotteries? 

2. How much money do people spend on lotteries in the USA? 

3. What is the largest jackpot? 

4. What is the most popular way of spending lottery money?

Lotteries 

       The first recorded lotteries date back to 187 BC. They were held in China to fund major government projects like the Great Wall of China. The first European lotteries were held during the Roman Empire, mainly at dinner parties, where guests were given presents. The first lottery offering tickets for sale was the lottery organised by Roman Emperor Augustus. The funds were used for repairs in the City of Rome.         The first recorded lotteries to offer tickets for sale with prizes in the form of money were held in the modern day Netherlands in the 15th century. Various towns held public lotteries to raise money for town fortifications (укрепления) and to help the poor. The English word lottery comes from the Dutch noun “lot” meaning “fate” (судьба). 

       Nowadays lotteries are popular in many countries. For example, Americans spend more on the lottery than any other form of entertainment. In 2014 they spent 70.1 billion dollars on lottery tickets, while only 63 billion dollars was spent on sports tickets, books, video games, movie tickets, and recorded music combined. 

     The largest jackpot win with one ticket was $590.5 million in America’s Powerball, won by Gloria MacKenzie, Florida in 2013. The largest unclaimed prize was from the Euro Millions draw (розыгрыш) in 2012. The ticket was worth £63,837,543. The average lottery winner buys new cars for either themselves or friends and family. 

         After winning the lottery, one of the first things most lottery winners do is take a break from the rat race and go on holiday! According to the survey results, 75% of lotto winners upgrade their apartments to more spacious private homes, while 24% buy property (недвижимость) abroad. Even though a multi-million dollar lotto win gives people financial independence, many choose to continue working. According to statistics, 15% of lottery winners find a better job, while 45% open their own businesses. 

        On the downside, many winners lose their money because they spend it on expensive things they can’t afford or because they are too generous and give away their money to relatives and friends. In spite of their generosity, 90% of lottery winners lose friends. This is really just due to the fact that you cannot please everyone. Almost half of all online lottery winners lose every single cent within 5 years of the event. So even if you win a lottery, you should deal with your money wisely.

1. What do you think of lotteries? Is it a good idea to rely on lotteries to earn money? 

2. Do you think some people are luckier than others? Do you think winning a lottery depends on how lucky you are? 

3. Why do lottery winners want to take a break from the rat race? 

4. Should there be any age limit for playing a lottery? 

5. What’s the best way to spend the money raised with the help of lotteries (e.g. help the poor or fund city projects)?