Frontline: Betting On The Lottery

Lotto fever. Is it a new and valid form of reaching for the American Dream, or a wolf in sheep's clothing--a form of gambling in which the odds are so one-sided in the favor of the state that it would make a hotel owner in Vegas blush? The superb Frontline series travels to Illinois, where lottery official Sharon Sharp weekly plays a cat-and-mouse game (although with the advantage of the cat) in setting the amounts of the winnings to be had from the state lottery. The camera crew follows Sharon, and talks with the man on the street--both pro and con--about the moral and social implications of state lotteries (currently in 29 states). Ms. Sharp, who uses the term "gaming" instead of "gambling," is a shrewd promoter, and viewers will gain an insider peek at the background of lottery drawings--from the advertising and promotion that goes into building up "lotto fever" to the carefully controlled selection of the magical air-blown numbered balls. In addition to the in-depth portrait of the Illinois State Lottery, the documentary travels South where, despite efforts of some legislators, the state lottery has not taken prominent hold. An excellent program on a many-faceted issue, Betting on the Lottery is highly recommended for those libraries who can afford it. (And, by the way, for all of you who have wondered about the kind of odds involved in winning the lotto jackpot, it's about 13,000,000 to 1.) (See AMAZING GRACE: WITH BILL MOYERS for availability.)