The Illinois Lottery Comes From A Bronzeville Parlor Game

The Illinois Lottery as we know it today with Pick 3, Pick 4, and Mega Millions games has its roots in a 19th century parlor game known as “Policy.” Brought to Chicago in the 1880s, Policy was popularized in South and West side communities and sold as an opportunity to change families' lives. Sound familiar? In fact, during the height of play in the 1930s and '40s, more than $20 million annually flowed through nearly 4,500 Policy locations. The “Policy Kings,” as they were called, became the Robin Hoods of the neighborhood, helping build businesses and wealth in otherwise disinvested areas. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to the Chicago History Museum’s Charles Bethea and local tour guide Beatrice Hardy about how Policy was integral to the development of Bronzeville, Chicago’s Black Metropolis.  

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