Lottery tickets lift spirits of office workers

Lottery scratch tickets have become a new way for young Chinese office workers to spice up their day at work.

Each ticket contains about 20 slots, and they usually scratch one a day to add an extra source of excitement to their workday — win or lose.

Many young professionals have posted about how they use the tickets to start their day at work on the social media platform Xiaohongshu.

Some have reserved a special place for the tickets on their desks, while others have put stickers of the god of fortune beside the tickets as a way of wishing for good luck.

According to the 2022 China Sports Lottery report, people aged 18 to 27 accounted for 38.1 percent of those who buy lottery tickets in China.

Meanwhile, 72 percent of respondents said they buy tickets for amusement, not for winning.

Sun Xiuling, 23, bought a lottery ticket on March 10, a rainy day, which she believes symbolizes extra money. She scratches one slot every workday.

"If I win some money that day, it means extra cash and good fortune," she said. "If I don't win anything, I will be more excited to scratch off a new slot the next day."

Sun paid 20 yuan ($2.80) for the ticket, which has 20 slots, and has already won 700 yuan.

"I believe it's beginner's luck," she said.

Sun, a senior undergraduate at a university in Qingdao, Shandong province, works as an intern at a pharmaceutical company in the city. The stress of transitioning from student to office worker has been tough to handle.

"There is a lot to learn, and everyone seems to be better than I am, so if I can win the lottery on a Monday, it will definitely help me get through the day," she said. "If I am lucky enough to win a million yuan, I will quit my job immediately."

Li Wenwen, 28, who works for an advertising company in Shanghai, said she started to buy scratch lottery tickets in March last year, and many of her colleagues do the same.

She said she might scratch off an entire ticket in one go, and if she wins anything she becomes very happy and posts it on her WeChat moments.

Apart from a source of encouragement at work, she also uses the lottery as motivation for other positive things, such as going to the gym or sleeping early.

"It's a way to get instant satisfaction for making an effort in life," Li said. "Even if the result is not good, the idea of maybe winning something big is attractive and rewarding enough."