How to Bet (Completely Legally) on Euro 2016 in Beijing Via the Government's Lottery System
With the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Championship about to get underway, you’ve perhaps toyed with the idea of adding an extra bit of excitement to your football viewing experience (and by that I don’t mean getting piss drunk at 4am in an Irish sports bar, all the while knowing full well you have to go to work the next day, but I digress). What I mean by extra bit of excitement is placing a monetary stake into the potential winnings of your go-to team. Yes, we’re talking about sports betting ... and, yes, us laowai can engage in it legally here in Beijing!
Technically, however, this isn't “gambling,” as the official parlance when referring to such activities seems to be jingcai (竞彩), which implies such practices are more akin to buying a lottery ticket, as in the characters caipiao (彩票). Regardless of semantics, the practice is widespread and quite similar to placing a sports bet anywhere else in the world.
Read on below to see how it’s done:
Where
The most convenient way to place a wager is through a physical establishment bearing the China Sports Lottery signage. The sign is fairly ubiquitous; there are literally thousands, if not tens of thousands of these storefronts spewed across the capital. They may even be more commonplace than 7-Eleven, and my bet is you probably walk by one every day without really noticing. Interestingly, these venues range from the rinky-dink and run-down to the slightly more upscale (those featuring air-conditioning and flat-screen televisions). Upon entering such an establishment, if you see a table full of scratch cards and random (lottery) numbers displayed on chalkboard, then you’re most definitely in the right place.
How
With regards to football games (including Euro 2016), there are several ways you can make a bet (goal differential, half-time score, etc.); the most commonplace, however, is the simple win/draw/loss option, which translates as shengpingfu (胜平负). Making this sort of bet is relatively easy: explain to the person behind the counter that you intend to make a football bet zucai (足彩). Saying the phrase “shengpingfu” and mentioning the date of the match will help expedite the process. Most importantly, specify explicitly what you believe the outcome of the game will be.
Your bet is then inputted into terminal and a subsequent stub/receipt is then printed out of it. The process doesn’t require any sort of identification, and the minimum bet is a mere RMB 2. Wagers can either be placed on a single match or combined with other matches for an accumulator bet (a multiplier effect).
RELATED: Mandarin Phrases and Vocabulary Needed to Navigate the Euro Cup
For example, a colleague of mine placed a RMB 50 on the Euro 2016 quarterfinal games. If he accurately predicts the outcomes of all four matches, he can potentially parlay that RMB 50 into over RMB 750 in earnings (which can then be conveniently collected from any of the China Sports Lottery storefronts around town).
A Caveat
Although the above is not classified as “gambling,” I personally don’t want this article to be the gateway to an addicting gambling lottery-habit for any of our readership; that won’t weigh well on my conscience. So this goes without saying: Please gamble buy lottery tickets responsibly.
Moreover, if you do choose to engage in such forms of entertainment, be sure your Mandarin level is communicable, lest you draw the unwanted ire of impatient old men whom are standing in line behind you.
Photos: Sporttery, Scott DeVoy Su
