[WHY] Good luck? Good energy? Or just a good time? All about Korea's lottery hot spots.

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[WHY] Good luck? Good energy? Or just a good time? All about Korea's lottery hot spots.

Published: 15 Nov. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 15 Nov. 2025, 11:35

KIM JI-YE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A sign advertising winning the first prize in front of a lottery store known to be a lottery hot spot in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 30 [YONHAP]

At around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 8, dozens of people lined up outside a shop called Spa in northern Seoul’s Nowon District waiting to buy lottery tickets. The line snaked around a corner, with even a small stand set up selling nuts to bored customers enduring the wait.

“I came here because I thought I might have better luck winning,” said Choi Eun-hee, 28, after finally purchasing her ticket after waiting for 15 minutes in the line.

When arriving at Spa, a large banner proudly announcing its 55th first-prize winner hung above the entrance. The glass windows are plastered with bold lettering announcing a long list of past first-prize winners and the amounts they received.

Why would people wait for over 10 minutes on a Saturday evening for a lottery ticket at this particular place when they could easily buy one at a nearby store or even online? The store is known in Korea as a “lottery hot spot,” a place believed to produce more winning tickets than others.

Spa, a lottery ticket store in Nowon District, northern Seoul, which has the highest record of selling first-prize tickets in the city [KIM JI-YE]

Due to the fame of these stores, it is a common sight to see people queuing up in long lines to buy tickets.

But that's just a small piece of the two-decade-long story of the lottery's history in Korea. Even at ordinary lottery shops, especially on Friday evenings, it is common to spot people grabbing a ticket or two on their way home from work.

For 23 years, the lottery has become deeply woven into Korean culture, slipping into everyday routines and even language.

For many young adults, especially Gen Z and millennial individuals, phrases like “I’ll quit my job if I win the lottery” or “I’ll buy this when I hit the jackpot” have become casual expressions. Also, some companies hand out lottery tickets as prizes during office gatherings or team-building games.

So, what really defines a lottery hot spot? If the odds are indeed the same everywhere, why do people keep lining up at these places? And does the lottery represent something more than just money to Koreans?

The interior a lottery ticket store in Nowon District, northern Seoul, with signs marking the winning records at the store [NEWS1]

Lucky lottery hot spots

In Korea, there are various types of lotteries, but the one that people line up to buy is specifically called Lotto 6/45, priced at 5,000 won ($3.40) per ticket. It was first introduced in 2002 under the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s lottery commission. Although the prize money varies depending on the number of winners, the average first-place prize is around 2.5 billion won, while second-place winners take home tens of millions of won.

As of October, there are 9,262 stores nationwide selling lottery tickets, with 1,658 of these located in Seoul, according to the Korea Lottery Commission.

Yet, despite the abundance of stores, not many are often referred to as lottery hot spots. There is no official definition for such stores, but they are generally recognized based on the number of first- and second-prize winners they have produced.

How do people find out about these spots?

There are numerous online posts sharing such information, and DongHang Lottery, a lottery operator, allows people to search where first- and second-prize winners bought their tickets on its official site. But in reality, it’s often unnecessary to search, as most stores prominently display signs or banners advertising their history of winners. The more winners a store produces, the more popular it becomes.

One of the most famous lottery shops in Seoul is the aforementioned Spa, which draws large crowds despite being located in a residential area in the city's north. People are known to drive across town just to purchase tickets. On Nov. 8, cars were lined up on the side of the road as people waited to get their chance to purchase what hopefully would be a winning ticket.

The store holds the record for producing the most winners among stores in Seoul, with 55 first-place and 249 second-place winners to date.

A sign in front of Jamsil Maejeom, a lottery ticket store in Songpa District, southern Seoul, says that the store sold 21 first-prize tickets and 105 second-prize tickets, on Nov.6 [KIM JI-YE]

Reviews can be found online stating, “I made an hour-and-a-half trip. My heart raced with excitement and anticipation to buy a lottery ticket, as I heard it was a lottery hot spot in Seoul.” Some shared that they had waited up to 30 minutes in line to get a ticket.

Another famous store is Jamsil Maejeom, located in Songpa District. It has recorded 21 first places and 105 second places. It even added another record after a recent lottery draw on Nov. 8, with one store customer earning second place.

“I often come here because I heard that this place is a lottery hot spot,” said a woman, who asked to remain anonymous, explaining that she comes to this specific place despite there being more than 90 lottery ticket sellers in the Songpa area. And by around 6 p.m., the line outside the shop had already begun to grow longer.

A long line is formed around Spa, a lottery ticket store in Nowon District, northern Seoul, which has the highest record of selling first-prize tickets in the city [KIM JI-YE]

Is it worth the wait?

So, the question remains: Is there really a better chance of winning when buying from these places?

Practically speaking, there isn’t. However, people tend to perceive patterns and meaning behind the randomly distributed winners. This is often called the illusion of pattern perception — resulting in people flocking to areas where winning tickets have previously been sold.

When referring to hot spots, a spokesperson from the Korea Lottery Commission said, “It’s just a term that people have made up.” They added, “These shops aren’t actually any luckier.”

“But when a store has sold a few first-prize tickets, people tend to start gathering there, driven by hope and expectation. That, in turn, boosts ticket sales, which slightly increases the chances of another winning ticket being sold from that shop.”

Despite being purely random, some claim that these hot spots are often well-located according to the principles of feng shui, a traditional East Asian practice that studies the flow of energy, or chi, of a surrounding environment. And the same belief applies to Spa, the Seoul shop that holds the city’s highest record of winners.

Feng shui expert Park Sung-jun said the store is positioned in an area that supposedly attracts good luck. “Basically, the location is considered auspicious because it is surrounded by mountains like Mount Bugak, Mount Dobong, Mount Surak and Mount Bulam, with the Jungnang Stream flowing at its side,” said Park.

“Another factor is the fact that it sits at a major intersection. In places like four-way or five-way crossroads, the movement of vehicles creates a circulating and reinforcing energy flow.”

A person holds their lottery ticket in front of a lottery shop in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on Jan. 1, 2024. [YONHAP]

Why do Koreans flock to lottery hot spots?

Koreans have long held strong beliefs in superstition and shamanistic traditions, which remain deeply woven into everyday culture — beliefs that have been reflected in modern content, such as Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” In this way, ticket buyers tend to be attracted to an apparent "good energy" that flows from these hot spots.

Lee Eu-gene, 30, said that she recently bought lottery tickets in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, at Daesan Super, a store that has had seven first-prize winners and 33 second-prize winners.

“I stumbled upon this store while driving by and saw that it had seven winners,” she said. “I thought that it must have some kind of good energy that might also come to me if I’m lucky enough.”

Kwak Geum-joo of Seoul National University’s psychology department says beliefs related to "good energy" can be traced back to Korea's folk traditions. “In Korea, people have traditionally placed more faith in rituals, luck or shamanic practices than in purely rational thinking or logical judgment,” Kwak said.

People line up in front of a store known to be a so-called lottery hot spot in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on Jan.1, 2022. [YONHAP]

Another reason that Koreans flock to certain hot spot areas to buy lottery tickets lies in the nation’s economic and social struggles and the growing sense that climbing the economic ladder is becoming increasingly difficult. The rise of expressions like “gold spoon” and “dirt spoon” — Korean terms referring to those born into wealthy or financially struggling households — reflects this perception. As a result, many turn to the lottery in search of a shortcut to success.

“Korea has a strong culture of investment and speculation, largely because the wealth was created very rapidly within a single generation. In other words, the country experienced compressed economic growth,” Kwak said. She compared Korea to countries like Britain, the United States and Japan, stating that stories of people accumulating wealth span from 90 to 200 years, whereas in Korea, a similar level of wealth was “built in just about 50 years.”

Given this historical and social background, many Koreans look for quick and easy ways to earn money, and the lottery often feels like one of the few remaining chances for financial success.

As a result, they often view purchasing lottery tickets as an investment rather than a waste of money, which encourages them to buy tickets regularly. This behavior can also be explained as the "gambler’s fallacy," according to Kwak, as many often believe that their chance will soon come, even after repeated losses.

“So when a few winning tickets have come from a particular shop, it gains a reputation as a lucky hot spot and people go there hoping, even if only slightly, that their chances of winning the lottery might be higher.”

A still from comedy film ″6/45″ (2022), which centers on a first-prize lottery ticket win by a soldier [HOME CHOICE, SIDUS]

Not just for money

For many, buying lottery tickets is about the chance to win big. But the excitement itself brings a rush of “dopamine” to some.

For Choi, the customer at Nowon District’s Spa, the dopamine is also a reason for her ticket purchases, fueled by the sense of hope that comes with the possibility of winning.

Apart from the feelings one gains for themselves, the giving of lottery tickets to others is also a common practice, particularly at the end of the year, to wish family members or colleagues good luck. “The gifting of lottery tickets carries the meaning of gifting hope,” added Kwak.

In other words, a 5,000 won ticket works as a small token of hope and best wishes for someone to hold onto throughout the week.

While the prize money is obviously important, the act of buying the ticket itself often carries just as much meaning, which is why it has become a routine part of many people’s lives.

“While some customers do chase a big windfall, most simply come to test their luck for the day, holding onto the fact that this small act brings them a sense of hope,” said Yoo Chun-hee, 65, who has run SinsaWooriGanpan since the very first lottery was drawn in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The shop is also a well-known lottery hot spot.

He added that not only do people buy them when they are in a good mood, but also when they are in a bad one, as it helps them lift their spirits. He said, “When the shop is quiet, some customers buy tickets and talk about their misfortune, while others share their worries about debt.”

So, the next time you see a long line outside a lottery store in Korea, feel free to join in. It might just be your lucky day. Foreigners can also purchase tickets and claim the prize if they win.

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]

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