Walk into almost any Bronx bodega, and you’ll find a display filled with scratch-off tickets. It’s not unusual to see someone buying a drink and grabbing a $5 ticket on the way out. The New York Lottery is part of daily life for many across the borough. Now, a different kind of gamble is catching attention, one that doesn’t come with a ticket or a store clerk, but lives entirely online. Meme coins, fast-moving digital tokens tied to social media buzz, are becoming part of the conversation.

Scratch Tickets or Screens?

The lottery has long been a familiar game in working-class neighborhoods. In 2023, New York City accounted for more than $1.3 billion in ticket sales by county, making it a top contributor statewide. Scratch-offs, Pick 3, and Mega Millions are staples across convenience stor

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