When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City

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Felicia B. George

When Detroit Played the Numbers

Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City

Felicia B. George

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English

Wayne State University Press
31 March 2024

History of the Americas; Social & cultural anthropology; Gambling: theories & methods

The true story of how Detroit entrepreneurs created a thriving—if illegal—lottery system to support themselves and uplift their communities.

A testament to the tenacious spirit embodied in Detroit culture and history, this account reveals how numbers gambling, initially an illegal enterprise, became a community resource and institution of solidarity for Black communities through times of racial disenfranchisement and labor instability. Author Felicia B. George sheds light on the lives of Detroit's numbers operators—many self-made entrepreneurs who overcame poverty and navigated the pitfalls of racism and capitalism by both legal and illegal means. Illegal lottery operators and their families and employees were often exposed to precarity and other adverse conditions, and they profited from their neighbors' hope to make it through another day. Despite scandal and exploitation, these operators and their families also became important members of the community, providing steady employment and financial support for local businesses. This book provides a glimpse into the rich culture and history of Detroit's Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods, linking the growing gambling scene there with key characters and moments in local history, including Joe Louis's rise to fame and the recall of a mayor backed by the Ku Klux Klan. In succinct and engrossing chapters, George explores issues of community, race, politics, and the scandals that sprang up along the way, discovering how ""playing the numbers"" grew from a state-proclaimed crime to an encouraged legal activity.

By: Felicia B. George
Imprint: Wayne State University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 272g
ISBN: 9780814350768
ISBN 10: 0814350763
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 31 March 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Felicia B. George is a native Detroiter who loves Detroit history and culture. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State University, where she is now an adjunct professor.

Reviews for When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City

"Filled with fascinating detail--champion boxer Joe Louis's career was initially funded by numbers gambling profits--George's narrative is accessible and entertaining. Readers will be engrossed. -- ""Publisher's Weekly"""