Support for Scratch and Win comes from MIT Federal Credit Union, helping members navigate their

earning options with high-yield savings accounts. Membership information at MITFCU.org, federally insured

by NCUA.

Lot of fever! Show us your lot of tickets!

In the mid-1980s, a strange new phenomenon swept across America.

The largest lump sum cash payment in the history of the Maryland State Lottery.

Lottery jackpots, unlike anything the world had ever known, so big they would drive media coverage, which inspired more people to play, which only made the jackpots bigger.

This cyclical effect became known as lottery fever.

This September in Florida, a record $105 million jackpot sparked the latest outbreak of lottery fever.

Attention shoppers.

CB's Foods Villa Park has just been notified that we sold the $42 million winning Illinois

lottery ticket.

In the 80s, lottery winners became minor celebrities.

How did you pick the numbers? What did the numbers mean?

Do you play regularly?

And the drawings themselves were a TV staple.

Or at least, they certainly were in Massachusetts.

Number one, one, 12, 31, 34. Here's number five.

One, five.

So, long story short, a friend sent me a article that was saying that the lottery was doing a open call for hosts, and they thought I'd be great for it.

This is Don Hayes, who at the time was a recently graduated communications major, living in Boston

and working as an assistant to the manager of an AM radio station.

...