The Loteria Game Card and Caller Sheet were produced in Mexico in 1974.
‘Loteria’, the Spanish word for Bingo/Lottery is a game of chance that originated in Italy in the mid-15th century and was introduced into Mexico in 1769. Loteria is the South American version of Bingo. Instead of using numbers on balls and boards, Loteria uses images on cards.
Every image on the Loteria Game Card has a character name. Up to 6 players can choose one of 6 player cards with each sheet designed with a different pattern or images. To start, the caller/cantor shuffles or scrambles their Caller Sheet character pieces in a bag. The caller then selects a character piece and announces it to the players by its name, periodically using a verse before reading the character or image selected. Each player locates the matching image on their Loteria Game Card that was announced and marks it off with a chip or other kind of marker.
In Mexico, it’s traditional to use Pinto Beans or small round river stones as markers. The winner is the first player that shouts ‘Loteria’ right after completing their Loteria Game Card or a previously agreed upon pattern (row, column or diagonal).
Each Loteria Game Card is made of thin cardboard measuring 4.5” x 3.5 with each character panel within each Loteria Game Card measuring 1.5” x 1”. A total of 22 comic characters are found, including Space Ghost, Bat Girl, Atom, The Thing, Shazam, Tarzan, Tonto, Green Arrow, The Spirit, Urko, Superman, Spiderman, Robin, Lone Ranger, Aquaman, Flash, Kid Flash, The Falcon, Batman, Robin Hood, Wonder Woman and Captain America.
The Phantom image found on the Loteria Game Card can be seen below above his title of ‘Fantasma’ as he’s known in Mexico.
The Caller Card sheet measures 7” x 6” which consists of 24 perforated images. The perforated images would then be separated and placed into a bag in order for the caller to mix them and begin their drawing selections.
Thank you Christopher Smith for assisting with images and information.
The Phantom 