History · GBH News

Scratch & Win

by GBH News

Never in American history has it been so easy to gamble, legally at least. We’ve got casinos, sports betting, online poker, keno — but it was all made possible by state lotteries, which brought gambling out of the shadows and into the public square — into the government itself. “Scratch & Win” follows the unlikely rise of America’s most successful lottery. We begin in 1970s Boston, with state bureaucrats going toe to toe with mafia bookmakers, and each other, as they struggle to launch the state's greatest innovation: the scratch ticket. But the story reaches all the way to the present moment. How do we feel about the gambling industry that lotteries helped summon into being? And should the state be in this business at all? “Scratch & Win” is made by the Peabody Award-winning team behind “The Big Dig,” produced by GBH News.

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I really enjoyed Scratch and Win. I love how each of the episodes delve into the different components and history of the lottery. It gave me a lot of insight and made me think about a subject matter that I never had an opinion about. Oddly enough as a teenager I did have a Maryland Lottery sign hanging in my room, just because it was cool. I have no interest in gambling, the last thing I need is wasting money on something that’s a pipe dream. This show was so well constructed with such interesting history and subject matter that I could not stop listening. I plan to listen to all the seasons. It’s a great show and I have already shared it with about 5 friends. Highly recommended.

Pepperchik · Nov 2025

Another great, true, story from one of the nation’s strongest investigative public broadcasters. This time the dig is into the rich twisted history of modern state lottery gambling system.

Jmmillett · Jan 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.