Throughline: Get Rich Quick: The American Lottery

Host: Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei
Producer: Ian Kass
Release Date: April 3, 2025

Introduction: The Evolution of Gambling in America

In the episode titled "Get Rich Quick: The American Lottery," NPR's Throughline delves deep into the intricate history of gambling in the United States, tracing its transformation from illicit activities to a mainstream, state-run enterprise. Hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei, with producer Ian Kass, explore how state lotteries became a cornerstone of American culture, shaping societal behaviors and economic practices.

The Complicated History of Gambling in the U.S.

Timestamp: [01:03] Rund Abdelfatah:
"But gambling's got a complicated history in the US. We allow some forms of it, ban others. We allow it in some places, but not everywhere. It's like we can't seem to make up our minds."

The episode begins by highlighting the inconsistent legal status of gambling across different states and time periods. This inconsistency sets the stage for understanding how lotteries emerged as a significant legalized form of gambling amidst a backdrop of prohibition and organized crime.

State Lotteries: From Shadows to Mainstream

Producer Ian Kass:
"Today, there are only five states in the US that don't have a state lottery. Everyone else is all in on it." [09:08]

Producer Ian Kass introduces the astonishing statistic that by the early 2020s, only five U.S. states lacked state lotteries. This rapid proliferation underscores the lottery's success in embedding itself into American life, surpassing traditional gambling forms like casinos and sports betting.

Kevin Weber:
"The world we live in now was made possible by state lotteries. It was the lotteries that did the slow cultural work of normalizing gambling decade by decade and destigmatizing it." [09:29]

Kevin Weber explains how state lotteries played a pivotal role in shifting public perception, turning gambling from a taboo into an accepted form of entertainment and revenue generation.

The Birth of the Modern Lottery: New Hampshire's Experiment

Jonathan Cohen, Author of For a Dollar and a State Lotteries in Modern America:
"The New Hampshire lottery that started in 1964 was rooted in horse racing, but it was unrecognizable to a modern lottery game." [12:09]

The episode recounts the inception of the modern lottery in New Hampshire in 1964. Designed initially to circumvent strict gambling laws, this lottery was a convoluted hybrid involving horse racing, which ultimately failed to captivate the public.

Kevin Weber:
"The New Hampshire lottery was not a great success. So the next two lottery states, New York and New Jersey, started to innovate, bringing the game closer to something we would recognize with regular drawings and no horses involved." [13:33]

Following New Hampshire's lackluster results, other states like New York and New Jersey revamped the lottery, making it more appealing and straightforward for participants.

John Koza and the Innovation of Scratch Tickets

John Koza, Computer Scientist and Lottery Innovator:
"Nobody had seen a ticket like this before in a State Lottery." [42:17]

John Koza emerges as a central figure in revolutionizing state lotteries. After collaborating with a game company and facing bankruptcy, Koza co-founds Scientific Games and pioneers the concept of the scratch ticket—an instant lottery game that offers immediate gratification compared to traditional weekly drawings.

Kevin Weber:
"The genius of an instant ticket was that it offered something no illegal operation could. And it did that by playing to the state's advantage. Technology." [35:23]

Koza's innovation addressed inherent flaws in previous lottery systems by introducing secure, tamper-proof tickets that significantly reduced the potential for fraud, thereby enhancing public trust.

The Launch and Impact of Scratch Tickets

Geraldine Stewart, Early Scratch Ticket Winner:
"I was lucky." [42:37]

The first scratch ticket was introduced in Massachusetts on May 29, 1974. Early adopters quickly experienced the thrill of instant wins, exemplified by stories like Geraldine Stewart's $1,000 prize. The immediate success of scratch tickets led to widespread adoption, with states nationwide following suit.

Kevin Weber:
"By 1974, people walked into convenience stores and gas stations around the state and saw that ticket. It had to work, or there would never have been an instant lottery in any state for decades." [42:52]

The immediate popularity of scratch tickets transformed them into a staple in retail environments, driving substantial revenue for state lotteries.

Societal and Economic Ramifications

John Koza:
"We knew we hit the world by the tail." [46:33]

The introduction of scratch tickets not only changed the landscape of gambling but also had profound economic implications. Americans began spending billions annually on lottery tickets, with scratch tickets alone accounting for a significant portion. This shift had ripple effects on consumer behavior, retail strategies, and state economies reliant on lottery revenue.

Kevin Weber:
"Today, Americans spend over $100 billion a year on lottery tickets. Almost two thirds of that total is spent just on scratch tickets." [47:11]

The episode highlights how scratch tickets became the "bread and butter" of state lotteries, outpacing other lottery forms like Powerball in terms of daily sales and widespread participation.

Personal Stories and Cultural Integration

Geraldine Stewart:
"My son never bought a scratch ticket in his life. And he's 50, and he decided a day ago he had some extra money, so he bought a ticket. He won $500 on that one ticket, his first scratch ticket, and he won $500." [46:35]

Through personal anecdotes, the episode illustrates the deep cultural integration of scratch tickets into everyday life, from family traditions to spontaneous individual participation.

Alan Raymond:
"People want scratch tickets. Absolutely. You want to win on the spot." [48:39]

Scratch tickets cater to the human desire for immediate rewards, a psychological aspect that significantly contributes to their enduring popularity.

Conclusion: The Lasting Legacy of the Lottery

Throughline's episode "Get Rich Quick: The American Lottery" provides a comprehensive examination of how state lotteries, particularly through the innovation of scratch tickets, have become a pervasive and influential part of American society. By blending historical analysis with personal stories and expert insights, the episode underscores the complex interplay between gambling, technology, and cultural acceptance that has shaped modern lotteries.

John Koza:
"Absolutely." [45:41]

Kevin Weber:
"We knew we hit the world by the tail." [46:33]

The episode concludes by affirming the profound and lasting impact of scratch tickets, cementing their place in the American zeitgeist as a ubiquitous and beloved form of entertainment.

Notable Quotes:

• John Koza [36:37]:
  "We got to talking and it turned out that they were trying to produce a kind of game where every ticket could be a winner."

• Kevin Weber [31:11]:
  "It shaped everybody's conception of organized crime."

• Geraldine Stewart [42:37]:
  "I was lucky."

This detailed exploration not only charts the historical trajectory of American lotteries but also captures the societal nuances and personal experiences that have propelled lotteries to their current status as a staple of American life.