Gamblin' man
Fighting the not-so-good fight in 'Lottery Wars'
Do you like the first four pages of this newspaper you are currently reading? You have Metro New York’s city editor, Matthew Sweeney, to thank. Sweeney is also the author of the new book “Lottery Wars: Long Odds, Fast Money, and the Battle Over an American Institution” (Bloomsbury, $25), about the past, present and future of everyone’s favorite unrealistic dream giver.
How did you first get interested in the lottery? Did you play?
I was a freelance reporter assigned with 5 or 6 others to track down Juan Rodriguez, a winner who was a classic Cinderella story. I was amazed at how much people cared about the story. The more I looked into the industry the longer and the more fascinating the story became.
What was the one thing that you found most interesting in your research?
Meeting a former gambling addict who spent $30,000 a year on lotteries. For him, the convenience store had all the drama of a casino and included suspicion of other players, tips from the owner on what scratch cards were hot or cold that day, and the feeling of being a high roller by dropping hundreds of dollars in 15 minutes.
Which is another thing you bring up, that a large percentage of lottery players are far from rich. Do you think the system intentionally targets the poor?
I can't read their minds. I think the state lotteries, for better or worse, think they're serving the public's interest by selling as many tickets as they can. I think they track sales more than demographics. But studies show that lotteries take a much bigger bite out of people from lower incomes and lower education levels.
Which ticket do you prefer wasting a dollar on?
I don’t have a favorite, but I am fascinated by the licensing that is becoming more common and sell well. Several states put out American Idol scratch tickets and King Kong tickets when that movie came out, and nearly every baseball team has sold licensing rights to do scratch tickets. Personally, I'm drawn to the "Win for Life" ticket but that's because it's a great marketing phrase.
Finally, how is it I’ve sat 10 feet away from you for months and I never knew you had a book coming out?
You never asked.