Jogo do Bicho

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jogo do Bicho ("the animals' game") is an illegal gambling game from Brazil.

Very popular throughout the country (but mostly in the South-East), the "game" is actually a a lottery-type drawing operated on a regional basis by mobsters known as banqueiros ("bankers"). Unlike most state-operated lotteries, in Jogo do Bicho you can bet any amount of money, even a cent.

Despite its popularity (and being more or less tolerated, especially in Rio de Janeiro, it is still illegal and those involved may be prosecuted.

1 The Animals of the Game
2 Bets and prizes
3 History
4 Structure
5 Criminal charges and political connections
6 External links

[edit] The Animals of the Game

The name of the game arises from the association of the drawn numbers with a random selection of 25 animals (to help memorising):

1 - Avestruz (Ostrich)
2 - Águia (Eagle)
3 - Burro (Jackass)
4 - Borboleta (Butterfly)
5 - Cachorro (Dog)
6 - Cabra (Goat)
7 - Carneiro (Lamb)
8 - Camelo (Camel)
9 - Cobra (Snake)
10 - Coelho (Rabbit)
11 - Cavalo (Horse)
12 - Elefante (Elephant)
13 - Galo (Rooster)
14 - Gato (Cat)
15 - Jacaré (Alligator)
16 - Leão (Lion)
17 - Macaco (Monkey)
18 - Porco (Hog)
19 - Pavão (Peacock)
20 - Peru (Turkey)
21 - Touro (Bull)
22 - Tigre (Tiger)
23 - Urso (Bear)
24 - Veado (Stag)
25 - Vaca (Cow)

[edit] Bets and prizes

There were traditionally four types of prizes:

Cabeça. You bet on the animal and, if you win, you get 25 times the sum you betted.
Dezena. You bet on a number from 01 to 00 (which means one hundred in this case). if you win you get a 100 times the sum you betted.
Centena. You bet on a number from 001 to 000 (which means one thousand in this case). If you win you get a 1000 times the sum you betted.
Milhar. You bet on a number from 0001 to 0000 (which means ten-thousand in this case). If you win you get 10000 times the sum you betted.

Nowadays the game has become more complex with many variations of the above that may pay up to 50000 times the bet.

[edit] History

Unlike many aspects of the Brazilian culture, the creation of the game is fairly well-documented: it was created by a former plantation-owner who managed a Zoo as a way to attract visitors to the park and finance its maintainance.

The game became popular because it accepted bets of any amount, in a time when most people struggled to survive a very deep economic crisis.

[edit] Structure

Since its early inception the game has preserved a hierarchy: operators (banqueiros), managers (gerentes) and dealers (vendedores). This same hierarchy was later reproduced in the organisation of drug-trafficking and other types of organised crime in Brazil (this being the most important charge against the innocent game, that it provided a structure that the crime bosses could build upon).

Operations are carried on at pontos (points-of-sale) where the dealers collect money and keep record of the bets. The bets (and the money) are sent to the central operator (banca) where the draw is done. The draw (as expected from a criminal organisation) is not fair: if too many people bet on a same number it is removed from the lot to prevent the quebra da banca (bankruptcy). This is necessary because most bancas operate with slim resources and their owners do not want to invest their personal assets to pay the bets.

Neither the pontos nor the bancas need a fixed operational centre. Most pontos are mere stools or wooden boxes on which the dealers seat through the day.

[edit] Criminal charges and political connections

Because it is an activity that deals with large sums of sounding money, out of the reach of the government control, the game has attracted the attention of corrupt officials, who may ally with the bosses. The bosses are always interested in buying the leniency of the government or the removal from office of people active on the game's repression.

Due to its unlawful bonds with public officials of dubious character, the game still exists, more than a hundred years after its creation.

To foster public support, the bosses invested part of their enormous earnings in activities like the financing of samba schools and football clubs. From the early 1970s until quite recently, all Rio de Janeiro samba schools were under the control of bicho bosses. Two clubs that were famous for their association with such bosses were Bangu (with Castor de Andrade) and Botafogo (with Emil Pinheiro).

The possibility of legalisation has been often argued, but no practical decision on this subject has ever been made (perhaps because the game's bosses bribe the authorities not to usurp their business).