pay to play

present singular third person pays to play · participle present paying to play · participle past paid to play · past paid to play · alternative attributive especially noun pay-to-play

1. broadlyTo incur a cost to participate in an activity; especially, in a corrupt way.

   1 more example

   Whether or not the father of our country was prone to campaign overkill [referring to a quoted passage about George Washington handing out rum, wine, beer, and cider for electioneering efforts], the above points up the fact that running for public office has long required the expenditure of resources. Although the use of libations has largely given way to the use of television as a means of capturing votes, the principle remains the same: You gotta pay to play. Nonetheless, as Tables 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 illustrate, one component of the campaign money game does change with each election—the price tag keeps getting larger. Hence, the Reagan-Carter election of 1980 cost the nation approximately $59 million more than did the Lincoln-Douglas contest of 1860. Between 1978 and 1982 alone, candidates for the House of Representatives increased their total spending by $94 million or 84%. Nor is this phenomenon unique to national office. Between 1958 and 1982 the amount of money required to secure a chief executive for the State of California increased by about $21 million or 781% in fewer than 25 years—a whopping $5 million or 169% even when adjusted for inflation.

   1986, United States Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, The Transformation in American Politics: Implications for Federalism, United States Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, pages 246-247

   1. USbroadlyespeciallygovernmentTo make a campaign contribution or illegal payment to avail oneself of business or other opportunities controlled by politicians or civil servants.
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pay, to, play.

alternative attributive especially noun pay-to-play

1. uncountableAny kind of charge to engage in an activity.
   1. USespeciallyuncountablegovernmentCampaign contributions (or outright bribes or graft) required to avail oneself of certain opportunities controlled by politicians, such as uncompetitive government contracts.