American Sweepstakes

October 1, 2015

Thousands of people play the lottery every day in one of 43 states with a legal sweepstakes, pinning their hopes and dreams on a series of numbers. It's doubtful that few, if any, know the story behind the first modern lottery that made their desires possible. Not even journalist Flynn (Notes on a Killing) was aware, until he stumbled upon the story while working as a PR consultant for the New Hampshire Lottery. The unearthed tale tells of how the state of New Hampshire created a sweepstakes in 1964 as a way to raise funds for education and avoid enacting a sales tax. Flynn found that the first 20th-century lottery stemmed from an unlikely alliance between the state's first Democratic governor in more than 40 years, a celebrated FBI agent, a state representative, and a conservative newspaper that published opposition from the Catholic Church, the U.S. Justice Department, Post Office, and the press. VERDICT Flynn weaves an engaging story of the New Hampshire Sweepstakes. While historians may lament the lack of footnotes, this work appears to be well researched.--Michael C. Miller, Austin P.L. & Austin History Ctr., TX

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