Planet Money How the scratch off lottery changed America
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Feb 5, 2025 
John Koza, a computer scientist and the inventor of scratch-off lottery tickets, shares the fascinating journey of how these instant lotteries transformed American gambling. He discusses the surprising fact that Americans spend more on scratch tickets than on pizza or Coca-Cola. Koza details the innovative collaboration that led to their creation and the challenges of fraud prevention. The conversation explores the cultural impact of scratch tickets in Massachusetts, addressing their addictive nature and societal implications.
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The Board Game and the Birth of Instant Tickets
- John Koza, a computer scientist, designed a board game about the Electoral College, which failed commercially.
- However, a game company hired him to create secure, unhackable instant-win tickets.
Early Instant Ticket Vulnerabilities
- Early instant tickets were vulnerable to hacking due to predictable patterns or visible numbers under the scratch-off film.
- John Koza's experience with these vulnerabilities allowed him to develop more secure ticket designs.
Fat Vinny the Stool Pigeon
- In the 1970s, organized crime was heavily involved in gambling, influencing public perception.
- Vincent Teresa, also known as "Fat Vinny the Stool Pigeon", became a key informant, exposing the mob's reliance on gambling.