Enduring economic woes, Turks try their luck buying lottery tickets

"Usually I'm not a dreamer, but this year it's different," said Esra Görgün, a veteran nurse, as she was buying three lottery tickets in a supermarket in an old district of Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey.

"If I win something in the New Year's lottery, I want to help others who have fallen on hard times amid Turkey's economic woes," the 50-year-old health worker told Xinhua.

"Each year, we buy a single ticket for the family, but this time I bought one for everyone in the house, my husband and my daughter," she said, hoping that she would finally be lucky this time and not go empty-handed like the years before.

"It's interesting to see that when there is economic trouble, more people appear willing to gamble money on lottery tickets in the hopes of leaving their financial problems behind," Görgün added.

FINANCIAL PROBLEMS

This year, the Turkish National Lottery's jackpot is worth 120 million Turkish liras (8.6 million U.S. dollars).

Turkey currently is in the grips of a currency turmoil with high volatility in the foreign exchange markets as its financial problems have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic amid surging inflation.

The country's currency dipped to historic lows against the U.S. dollar and the euro in recent months, impacting the living standards of people amid soaring prices.

TICKET SALES ARE ON THE RISE

The Turkish press said that lottery ticket sales were on the rise this year compared with last year.

Although the chance of winning the big prize is 10 million to one, people are still willing to spend some hard-earned cash for a chance to win amid financial turmoil and soaring prices in the country.

"For most people buying a New Year lottery ticket is a luxury because prices are more expensive than usual. But they still keep coming to try their luck," Ayhan Gencer, a street vendor wearing a Santa Claus hat, told Xinhua.

"THEY PIN THEIR HOPES ON A TICKET"

Full-price tickets of 120 Turkish liras (8.6 dollars), half-price tickets of 60 Turkish liras (4.3 dollars), and quarter-price tickets of 30 Turkish liras (2.1 dollars) have been on sale since Nov. 4 in the country.

Most types of gambling, except for sports betting and the lottery, are banned in Turkey.

"To buy a lottery ticket for the New Year has become a tradition, however in times of economic crisis, there are those who hope that their (financial) sacrifice will pay off. They pin their hopes on a ticket," Gencer said.

"Hope is everything, and even if there's a small chance I am willing to take it," said a middle-aged man who declined to give his name, with a smile on his face after picking a ticket from the hands of the seller.