Loteca and Lotogol celebrate 24 years in Brazilian sports lotteries this Wednesday.

The sports betting games Loteca and Lotogol celebrate their 24th anniversary this Wednesday (February 18th). Created by CAIXA, these lotteries challenge bettors to predict the results of football matches. The tradition began in the 1960s, when the Federal Government instituted the first game of this type in the country.

Loteca originated on May 27, 1969, when the Federal Government established the Federal Sports Lottery, a pioneer in the sports prediction segment in Brazil. The first test took place on April 19, 1970, before that year's World Cup, inspired by the national passion for football.

At its launch, bets were placed in only 49 lottery outlets located in Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, a region that formed the former state of Guanabara. The game underwent a reformulation in 2002, when it received its current name, Loteca.

Loteca bettors make predictions for 14 soccer matches. They mark one of three possibilities for each game: home team win, draw, or away team win. The participating clubs are already printed on the tickets issued by the lottery terminals.

The minimum bet costs R$ 4,00 and entitles you to one double. The chances of winning increase when the bettor marks more doubles and triples on their betting slip, also raising the price of the bet. Betting closes at 15 PM on Saturday, before the weekly draw takes place.

CAIXA uses results from national, state, and regional championships to create the schedules for its contests. The company does not interfere in the organization of these competitions, which are the responsibility of the Football Federations. In the tabulation of results, only the scores recognized by the referees during regulation time are considered valid.

The CAIXA Lottery Group Bets offer an alternative for group betting. In Loteca, group bets have a minimum price of R$ 16,00, with individual shares not less than R$ 4,00, allowing groups of 2 to 50 participants. Lottery Units also organize group bets, and may charge an additional Service Fee of up to 35% on the share value.

The prize distribution follows a specific structure, with 55% of the gross revenue allocated to the winners. Of this amount, 70% goes to those who correctly predicted all 14 games, 15% to those who correctly predicted 13 games, and the remaining 15% is distributed among those who correctly predicted all 14 games in contests ending in 0 or 5.

When there are no winners in any prize category, the prize money accumulates for the next draw, always in the first prize category. Bettors have up to 90 days after the results are announced to claim their prizes.

Placar's complaint

The history of sports lotteries in Brazil includes controversial moments. In 1982, the magazine "Placar" revealed a match-fixing scheme that affected the prizes of the Federal Sports Lottery. The October edition of that year featured a cover with a black background and the headline: "Exclusive. We uncover the Sports Lottery Mafia."

The journalistic investigation exposed a scheme involving businessmen, managers, players, and referees who, according to the report, were experts in "manufacturing upsets." The complaint named 125 people involved, but none were indicted or punished in the following months.

The magazine faced several lawsuits and paid compensation. The Federal Sports Lottery lost credibility with the public. The lottery held its last draw on September 4, 1989, after attempts at reform during the 80s.

In 2002, the system was revamped and the former Sports Lottery reappeared as Loteca. The official launch took place on February 4, 2002, with the first draw held on February 18, 2002.

The last Lotogol draw was on June 3, 2019.

The Bolão Federal, which operated with sporadic draws since June 12, 1998, was discontinued after its 98th draw on February 4, 2002. It was replaced by Lotogol, whose first draw also took place on February 18, 2002.

Lotogol maintained regular operations for over 17 years. In June 2019, Loterias CAIXA announced a change in its frequency, which became seasonal. The last draw with regular frequency was held on June 3, 2019.