Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun, Latin culture-inspired game show breaks barriers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lotería Loca
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LOTERÍA LOCA (Crazy Lottery in English) is a game show based on a traditional Mexican game of chance. Hosted by Jaime Carnil, and joined by musician Sheila E., each episode features two contestants. They take turns choosing numbers on a screen that reveals a lotería card. If the player who chose the card can match it to one on their board, they win the money behind it. If not, the other player steals the money. When a wild card is chosen, the contestant gets a chance to do something crazy for more cash. The player who gets three cards in a row on their board wins the lotería, and the first player to win two loterías goes on to play for one million dollars.
Is It Any Good?
This lively series, which is the first bilingual, Latin-inspired game show on U.S. TV, features contestants playing a bingo-like game for lots of cash. It's easy to play, and the lotería card images are easy to identify. Host Jaime Carnil also maintains the bilingual rhetoric by repeating words in English and Spanish throughout. It's festive, but Loteria Loca also uses an endless number of common cliches to remind viewers that it's Latino-inspired. This includes the "Loca Dancers" performing different traditional dances, a set design consisting of a tiled mosaic courtyard and Mexican village-inspired balconies covered with flowers, and lots of music, including Spanish-language songs that are well-known in U.S. popular culture. Some may find it a little stereotypical, while others may enjoy the energetic and celebratory vibe. But if you're a game show fan, you may find the actual gameplay too simple to get excited about.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the game Lotería. How does it differ from the game Bingo? Is it played the same way in different Latinx countries?
Loteria Loca uses lots of popular Latino images, music, dancing, etc. to create a festival-like atmosphere throughout the game. But at what point can this cross the line and become stereotypical? How can this be avoided?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 3, 2023
- Cast : Jaime Carnil , Sheila E
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Game Shows
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 4, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate