Loteria is a traditional Mexican game combining cards and Bingo, and it has been played as a game of chance, as a pastime and for educational purposes.
Cards are drawn and the illustrations matched to Bingo-like grid cards, each showing 16 of the 54 possible cards. Like Bingo, one may win by matching all of the fields on the grid-card, or by matching a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line. The cards themselves are colourfully and engagingly illustrated, and the Spanish captions will be helpful to anyone studying that language. Because the Lotería cards include the name of the item beneath its illustration, they are used to teach reading, writing, history and social values. Many bilingual teachers use the game as a teaching tool in the United States.
The most recognized version of Lotería is the "Don Clemente Gallo" version, introduced in Mexico in 1887 by French businessman Don Clemente Jacques. The owners of Don Clemente Gallo Pasatiempos have continued this version through three generations. Throughout the past hundred years, the original artwork found on its 54 cards has remained the same, though the company issued a special edition in 2002 featuring the paintings of artist Teresa Villegas.
