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The first factor considered was that the frequency
with which a numbers "hit" might cause a fluctuation in
the percentage of losses. There were only 313 playing
days in a year, so with 1000 nurriliers to play, it took
over three years for all possible numbers to appear.
An analysis of numbers that actually hit in the period
from January 1, 1935 to March 29, 1938 revealed that out
of the 1000 numbers, 355 had not hit even once, while
some numbers, had hit tVvice and three times and one (412)
had appeared five times during tho period. In view of
this finding, the agents felt that the law of frequency
did not necessarily apply within the period of one taxable
year.
Another factor considered was that due to the peculiar
playing habits of the pUblic, there might not be
an even distribution of play within a given period as
called for by the law of averages. The very fact that
the bankers had reduced the odds on certain numbers to
300 to 1 indicated that those nwnbers were played more
heavily than the others. The investigation showed that
the colored bettors were very superstitious and played
on "hunches ll and "dreams l '. Dream books, which purport
to interpret dreams in terms of numbers, have a wide
sale on the north side of Atlantic City. Any number
called to the attention of the players attracts a heavy
play. For example, the revenue office was in Room 222
in the Post Office Building. During the investigation
when the writers were being SUbpoenaed to that office,
the number 222 was a favorite number. Since Johnsonts
conViction, the agents have received numerous inquiries
as to what prison number he received at the Lewisburg
Penitentiary - tho bettors want to play that number or
the various three digit comblnations of it.
Another factor considered was the situation that
the betting public has a habit of not playing numbers
that have recently hit, although those digits frequently
repoat within a one-year period; and lastly, consideration
was given to the fact that in spite of the lower odds on
the 300 to 1 nQmbers, the players might still continue to
favor those numbers to the possible extent tllat more of
the bets were beinp, paid off at 300 to 1 than at 500 to
1, vnlich of course-would mean the backers could be paying '.
closer to 30% on trhits ll than to the 50% which they claimed.
Agent Snyder analyzed thousands of slips, prepared charts, I
and graphs and studied every phase of the game with a view
to finding some explanation for the 11% deviation in the ,
hit percentage •
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