Amusements Articles   

The success or otherwise of national lotteries in New Zealand had an inverse relationship with the success of community raffles and other forms of gambling. During the peak years of the Golden Kiwi and the Mammoth, between 1962 and 1966, the number of legal raffles fell and the renewal of housie permits dropped by as much as 80 percent in some areas. This was partly because the limits on ticket prices and prize lists had led many community groups to decide that running a legal raffle was not worth it. Yet between 1966 and 1968, the years during which the major lotteries were in most strife, the number of raffle permits issued increased from some 8,000 to nearly 19,000.

In 1930 the Irish Dail, or Parliament, passed an act permitting the running of a sweepstakes for the benefit of Irish hospitals; since then Americans have been able to buy tickets in an honest Illinois lottery whose top prize has been well over a million dollars.

A good old-fashioned treasure hunt is a simple, low-cost, popular way to entertain at any party. A treasure hunt promotes interaction, evokes squeals of excitement, and leaves guests with lasting memories of their adventurous day at your party.