LOUIS BURKE | Culture | CONTACT
POKIES AREN’T FAR OFF NOW: A Betoota family is on high alert as retired mum Jennifer Toddley (67) has made a dangerous switch from weekly Lotto tickets to weekly Scratchies.
To explain them in the most optimistic way possible, low-barrier gambling programs such as instant scratchies and lottery operate on the idea that you need money to be happy in a capitalist systems wherein the infinitely low chance that may hit an unrealistic jackpot is worth the constant disappointment for the daydreams alone.
For Toddley’s family, their mum’s lofty financial plans for her inevitable Lotto win (or wins) was kind of adorable which is why they were fine with mum pissing away a little bit of her investment property based intergenerational wealth every week.
But now, mum is using hard currency as a mere key to unlock her promised fortune as she does away with waiting for the evening numbers to be revealed and chooses to unearth her jackpot like a suburban archaeologist.
“I’d honestly rather she play the pokies, at least she’s getting out of the house that way,” stated one of Toddley’s kids, witnessing first hand how they would never become middle class.
“I guess that’s what comes after the scratchies [pokies]. That’s what she’ll do when she’s too embarrassed to show her face around here anymore.”
“On the bright side, she’s buying me a house if she ever wins big.”
MORE TO COME.
