Number choices that aren’t adding up

The trend among Maltese lotto players to bet on numbers connected to tragedies or anniversaries appears to have no historical explanation but numbers are culturally important in contemporary Malta, according to anthropologist Mark Anthony Falzon. “Take the political aspect: there is always a number related to an election – 13,000 brings to mind the 1998 election (won by as many votes) and 51 brings to mind the 1981 election (when the Nationalist Party polled 51 per cent of the votes). “When it comes to hunting, it is quite common to hear a hunter ask ‘Did you see millions today?’ in relation to the common perception that millions of birds are killed during the hunting season,” Dr Falzon said. The anthropologist was contacted after the total winnings of the lotto draw shot up to four times the average after the deaths of a young priest and four fireworks enthusiasts the previous Sunday inspired punters to try their luck on numbers linked to the events. At €1.1 million, raked in by a total of 4,500 players, it was one of the highest prize money totals distributed in the Saturday lotto history. It is customary in Malta for lottery players to bet on numbers related to people they...