Russian Loto

Russian Loto is the family number lottery of Russia and the former Soviet lands, played with numbered wooden kegs drawn from a cloth bag and cards of three rows.

How it is played

Each player buys one or more cards of fifteen numbers. A caller draws kegs one at a time and announces the number, often with a traditional nickname; players cover matches, and the first to fill a row, or the whole card, wins the pot.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Russia.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Crossroads and Golden Ages (about 500 to 1500), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Northern and Eastern Europe.