O jogo do bicho or animal game is an informal lottery run on the streets of Brazil. It is a numbers racket, essentially, that links the numbers in the game to different animal avatars. Though illegal, the game enjoys wide popularity and is considered even part of the national heritage.

Each animal is represented by 4 numbers. The avestruz or ostrich is 01,02,03,04, for example. You can even bet on combinations as well, which some believe raises the chances of winning. The various betting methods make the game difficult to play; these patterns and options are very similar to horse racing.

The game is run by bicheiros who are totally behind the scenes, mysterious characters. The bookies that take the bets right on the street are also called bicheiros but are really just funcionários. Throughout the day, various results are posted. The results are the equivalent to a winning lottery number announcement, and are centralized. The Rio de Janeiro results are even syndicated throughout the country and are considered the ‘standard’ jogo do bicho results.If your animal ‘hits’ then you return to the bicheiro and collect your winnings, which are obviously in direct relation to the size of your bet.

Superstition plays a huge role, especially since Brazilians are thought to be a very superstitious people to begin with. It is very common to bet on an animal that you see in a dream the previous night, to incorporate numbers you see on license plates… really anything one can imagine!

A beloved cultural pasttime, o jogo do bicho can be a social plague as well. Many people become addicted or viciado em the game. And some argue that though the money trail of the game is opaque, that much of the money finds it way into schools, samba schools, and even public works projects and roads in the favelas or shantytowns that do not technically exist and therefore don’t receive public funding.

Special thanks to Thiago for his help getting the details right!