Did people really still play the numbers games in the 90s? When during the 90s was this the early 90s, mid 90s, or late 90s?

I can see sports betting; but why did people still play numbers games in the 1990s? Or was it a very small pool of players with a supposed large sum of cash to be won?

I do not gamble and have only a few times with legal lotteries and at a casino but never for lots of money and only a very low winning, and instead of gambling at casinos I prefer to watch other people gamble, or just go to a show/concert at a casino with friends.

So I do not understand the appeal of it?