ghetto lottery

ghetto lottery

English

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Noun

ghetto lottery (plural ghetto lotteries)

1. (idiomatic, figuratively, US) a financial windfall obtainable by a poor person
   • 1977, Jack Newfield, Paul Du Brul, The Abuse of Power: the Permanent Government and the Fall of New York, Viking Press, page 258. (link)

     The experts all agree that sports betting and the numbers game—the ghetto lottery—are the biggest sources of income for the mob, and this money is used to finance other rackets like narcotics, loansharking, pornography, and the infiltration of legitimate businesses and unions.

   • 2003, Michael Eric Dyson, Why I love black women, Basic Civitas Books, page 234. (link)

     Marcia’s father, known in his neighborhood as “Duke,” became quite a gambler, betting on horses, dogs, boxing matches, and even policy, or “playing the numbers,” which was the ghetto lottery, so to speak.

   • 2009 September 12, “Michelle” (username), “Garage break-in Final [Rant]”, in chi.general, Usenet:

     It's called the ghetto lottery. Perp got handled a little too rough by a cop? He calls the People's Law office and sues the department for millions.