Lottery scratch-offs become quirky work check-in trend among young Chinese

A novel trend has emerged among young Chinese office workers: using lottery scratch-off tickets as a unique way to clock in at work.

According to a report in Sunday's Beijing Youth Daily, many young professionals are incorporating scratch-offs into their daily routines. Some choose to scratch a portion of the ticket each day, while others opt for a single daily scratch. Winning brings a welcome dose of luck, while losing is seen as dispelling negativity.

Social media platform Xiaohongshu is buzzing with stories of young people using scratch-offs for work check-ins. Many find the anticipation of scratching the tickets a motivational factor, boosting their work enthusiasm. Others transform scratch-offs into personal sign-in sheets, encouraging themselves to clock in consistently and spread their good fortune throughout the workday.

Lottery tickets have gained popularity among young adults in recent years. A 2022 China Sports Lottery report revealed that the 18-27 age group accounts for 38.1 percent of sports lottery buyers.

Twenty-year-old Lin Qi exemplifies this trend. Arriving punctually for work, he initiates his day with a scratch-off ritual he discovered online. This intriguing daily practice has yielded positive results: perfect attendance and a 200 yuan ($28) reward, a feat he hadn't achieved in his previous three years at the company.

Similarly, 23-year-old Wang Le encountered the trend online. He initially purchased a few scratch-offs casually, keeping them on his desk. On one occasion, while leaving after overtime, he noticed the tickets and scratched them all, unexpectedly winning 50 yuan. "I felt very happy," he said. Since then, Wang has made it a habit to buy scratch-offs, scratching one before leaving work each day. The anticipation before scratching becomes a daily closing ceremony, adding a touch of excitement to the end of the workday.

Winning isn't Wang's primary focus. He, like many others, finds the most joy in the anticipation of scratching itself. "It feels like celebrating the end of each workday," Wang told the Beijing Youth Daily.

This sentiment aligns with a China Sports Lottery study indicating that over 72 percent of lottery buyers participate not solely for winnings, but also for entertainment and relaxation.