numbers game

noun

1. an illegal lottery in which money is wagered on a certain combination of digits appearing at the beginning of a series of numbers published in a newspaper, as in share prices or sports results Often shortened tonumbers

Example Sentences

It isn't just the numbers game that works to bring these two men together.

From The Daily Beast

But after a few harrowing days for Democrats, something deeper than the numbers game may become clear.

From The Daily Beast

Many Republican wags, such as David Frum and Erick Erickson, are already onto the Boehner paint-by-numbers game of the “Pledge.”

From The Daily Beast

Instead, the staff played a sterile numbers game, seeking to impose a strict ratio everywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• betting
• game of chance
• sweepstake