# Running Numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 1999, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-numbers/3682 "1999-10-03T16:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-numbers/3682/1 "1999-10-03T16:35:00Z")
Apparently, it’s some kind of gambling activity. Any idea what??? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-numbers/3682/2 "1999-10-03T16:43:00Z")
Just a lottery, but run by your local criminal syndicate instead of the ever benevolent state. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-numbers/3682/3 "1999-10-03T22:18:00Z")
To be more specific, the classic numbers game has people select three numbers. The various bets would be compared to a “random” number – I’ve seen it as the last three digits on the numbers of shares sold on the New York Stock Exchange, or the last three digits on the total handle on a particular track. Whoever got all three got a 600:1 payoff. Bets were low; the runners went from house to hour collecting bets each day. Now there are legalized numbers, which are essentially the same, only you get worse odds. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 1999, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-numbers/3682/4 "1999-10-04T21:26:00Z")
No no, the OP meant those numbers that runners wear in races. 😉