To any one acquainted with the German gambling-places it is enough to say, that the Papal lottery-system is exactly like that of a _roulette_ table, with the one important exception, that the chances in the bank's favour, instead of being about thirty-seven to thirty-six, as they are at Baden or Hamburgh, are in the proportion of three to one.
For the benefit of those to whom these words convey no definite meaning, I will endeavour to explain the system as simply as I can.
In a Papal or Tuscan lottery there are ninety numbers, from one up to ninety, and of these numbers, five are drawn at each drawing.

You may, therefore, stake your money on any one or two or three or four or five of the ninety numbers being drawn, which is termed playing at the "eletto," "ambo," "terno," "quaterno," and "tombola" respectively, or you may finally play "al estratto," that is, you may not only speculate on the particular numbers drawn, but on the order in which they may happen to be drawn.

Practically, people rarely play upon any except the three first- named chances, and they will be sufficient for my explanation.

Now a very simple arithmetical calculation will show you, that the chances against your naming one number out of the five drawn is eighteen to one; against your predicting two, four hundred to one; and against your hitting on three, nearly twelve thousand to one.

Supposing, therefore, the game was played with ordinary fairness, and even as much as 25 per cent.