To Slampen and interested others,
I am also from Brazil. I would just like to tell you that, as far as we know, there are ano agreements for foreigners to play Brazilian lotteries. If anything shows up in the press, I will post here!
Our lotteries are run by the government only.
Brazilian currency is the R$.(Real). Right now the exchange rate is approximately R$.3,00 to US$.1,00.
Megasena (a 6/60 lottery) is played 3 times a week and nobody has won it for several draws. Next draw (tomorrow - Saturday) is expected to pay R$. 18.000.000 (equivalent to US$.6.000.000). Biggest rollover has been around US$.18.000.000. It also pays for 5 and 4 correct numbers on the 6 chosen. Price for this lottery is R$.1,50 (US$.0,50 per ticket played.
Quina (a 5/80 lottery) is played 2 times a week. It also pays for 4 and 3 correct numbers on your 5 number ticket. Cost is R$.0,50 to play a ticket with 5 numbers, R$.1,00 for a 6 number ticket and R$.2,00 for a 7 number ticket. I prefer to play the 7 number ticket.
Lotomania (a 50/100 lottery). This lottery draws 20 numbers and you should match the 20 drawn from your 50 marked in the playslip for the biggest prize. It also will pay for 19, 18, 17 and 16 correct. Cost is R$.1,00 per ticket.
Lotofacil (a 15/25 lottery. Yes, 15 numbers in 25!) The newest lottery which has been drawn about 50 times already. Once a week. It will pay if you match 15 of the 15 drawn. Also will pay if 14,13,12 or eleven. Cost is R$.1,00 per ticket.
One thing I am not sure of but will try to find out: if you play as part of a group (we usually form a group of 10-15 people for that) and you win if you can take your money won out of Brazil and if possible, how much would the taxes be for that. As soon as I find that out, I will post for everybody.
Hope this answers your question.
If anyone is interested, I can post the results drawn for the lotteries above in a .txt format that can be easily read by an Excel spreadsheet.
We also have a daily lottery (unofficial and illegal but... it is played openly all over the country). This daily 'lottery' is drawn 3 times a day and draws 6 numbers with 4 digits each. You can bet, say, R$.1,00 in the first of the 6 drawn numbers by choosing one number with 4 digits. If that number is drawn in the exact order, you will receive from 3000 to 4000 times R$.1,00.
You can also bet on only the last 3 digits or the 2 last digits. But the payout is not that good. AND IT IS ILLEGAL! AND RUN BY PRIVATE PEOPLE! As far as we know, they always pay the winning tickets. This illegal lottery is over 100 years old! Government pretends it is not played but thousands of people work as bookies taking wages everyday for that lottery. So if the police would close this, it would be very difficult, I think to make it happen.
Joev