numbers game
Illegal daily lottery
A numbers game is an illegal lottery, historically common in American cities, where players bet on which numbers will appear in some published result.
More broadly, any situation reduced to statistical manipulation rather than substance: College rankings are just a numbers game.
To play the numbers game is to focus on metrics at the expense of underlying reality.
Entry permit slip
- drawCreate with pencil
- jackpotAccumulated gambling prize
- powerballNumbered-ball jackpot drawing
- megamillionsNational lottery brand
sweepstakes · raffle · prize · winner · scratch-off · quick pick · rollover · annuity
Forbidden by statute
- policyAdopted principle of action
- runnerOne who sprints
- bankerMoney institution employee
- slipMinor error or misstep
hit · gig · mutual · clearing house · layoff · wire · territory · payoff
Staking money on outcomes
- wageringRisking money on outcomes
- oddsLikelihood expressed numerically
- stakesPosts or wagers
- casinoFacility for wagering
bookie · high-roller · bankroll · payout · house edge · spread · handicapping · point spread
Facts for analysis
- analyticsSystematic examination of datasets
- metricsStandards for assessment
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- forecastingEstimating future conditions
percentages · quantification · spreadsheet · projection · calculation · crunching · analysis · demographics
Underhanded control of others
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
- creative accountingMisleading financial reporting
- fudgingManipulating facts dishonestly
massaging · cooking the books · window dressing · optics · cherry-picking · selective reporting · misleading · deceptive
ticket
Entry permit slip
megamillions · sweepstakes · raffle · prize · winner · scratch-off · quick pick · rollover · annuity · lump sum
illegal
Forbidden by statute
slip · hit · gig · mutual · clearing house · layoff · wire · territory · payoff · fix
betting
Staking money on outcomes
casino · bookie · high-roller · bankroll · payout · house edge · spread · handicapping · point spread · parlay
data
Facts for analysis
- analyticsSystematic examination of datasets
- metricsStandards for assessment
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
forecasting · percentages · quantification · spreadsheet · projection · calculation · crunching · analysis · demographics · polling
manipulation
Underhanded control of others
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
- creative accountingMisleading financial reporting
fudging · massaging · cooking the books · window dressing · optics · cherry-picking · selective reporting · misleading · deceptive · smoke and mirrors
- crimerobbery, accomplice, alibi, burglary, conspiracy
- gamblinggamble, gambling, casinos, casino, bets
- number gamessudoku, KenKen, math puzzles, math games, math drills
- fast breakfast break, breakaway, breakaway dunk, outlet pass, run and gun
- organized crimemafia, mob, the mob, syndicate, crime syndicate
- gambling crimesillegal gambling, illegal casino, match fixing, race fixing, point shaving
game, number, numbers, numbered, numbering, numeral, numerical, enumerate, innumerable