You and the lottery. A Poll. Please join us for a frank and stimulating conversation.

[Oliveloaf]

Please share your opinion of state-run gambling.

[Oliveloaf]

Illinois' game is called Lotto. We have some big game in-state, plus some multi-state game that usually runs up huge payoffs.

[What Exit?]

I can't say it is stupid as it is a voluntary tax and if you by it for the pleasure of 15 minutes of dreaming knowing that the odds approach impossible then you are not being stupid in the purchase. Now if you buy them planning on winning, well then you are stupid.

All that said, I have probably bought less than 10 in the last 10 years.

[Zuul]

I've got a pretty negative view of gambling, so I never do it. If people are doing it for fun as an occasional thing without wasting money they can't afford, I guess there's nothing wrong with it. The problem is some people get addicted to it and spend money they can't afford. But if some people are going to do something stupid of their own free will, I'm not about to stop them.

As far as state-run gambling goes, it is a voluntary tax and that's not a bad thing.

[Orual]

I don't really see the fun of gambling in general. (This could be because I've never won anything.)

I voted "never play", but I don't necessarily think it's a "tax on morons" - it's clearly entertaining for some people, and as long as they're not spending their food/diaper money on it, I don't see the harm.

[Oliveloaf]

My take on the Lotto, and like scratch-off tickets, is pretty dim.

I worked at a convenience store for a couple of years and witnessed horrifying spending on these games.

I will never forget, it haunts me in my sleep, a regular customer who came into the store every day for a copy of the
racing form. Note that the store was very close to a horse track. He was dressed like street person and drove a horribly
trashed car.

What made this guy so compelling/sad/horrible to me was that he was periodically in the company of a young girl that
I took for his daughter. She, too, was dressed in rags.

One day the guy came in with $1000 in cash. A grand. I figured that he must have hit at the track. what did he do with the money?

He bet the entire $1000 on the daily Pick 4. He played--I will never forget this--1440 straight for the full amount. He had the sense
to play it on 100 separate tickets to dodge potential tax liabilities. Of course he lost it.

I sill feel like scum because I played some role in this guy's folly.

I saw heart-breaking crap like this all the time. Parents would by tickets for their kids. Normal-looking folks plunking down $50-$100
on scratch-off tickets.

What I didn't see much of were casual buyers who spent just a buck or two.

[Sarahfeena]

I think it's morally problematic for the state to run lotteries, and especially to run ad campaigns designed to make people think that they have a chance of winning big money. The only people who are seriously sucked into it are either gambling addicts, or people whose circumstances are dire enough that this seems like a way out of their troubles. Not something the state should be involved in encouraging, IMO.

[What Exit?]

I think it's morally problematic for the state to run lotteries, and especially to run ad campaigns designed to make people think that they have a chance of winning big money. The only people who are seriously sucked into it are either gambling addicts, or people whose circumstances are dire enough that this seems like a way out of their troubles. Not something the state should be involved in encouraging, IMO.

I understand that but I also know if the State does not run Lotteries, then organized crime does instead. At least this way the money goes directly into the coffers instead of more money being spent to try and crack down on illegal numbers games. I also understand the Lotteries also make it simple for far more people to participate outside of large cities where it was always simple.

I guess I only rarely see the desperate people and mostly see the people that buy 2 pick-6 per week or the ones that go in on company pools.

[CatInASuit]

The UK has the National Lottery, our tax on stupidity with the money being split 50-50 in prizes and money going to charity, minus commission for the compnay running it of course.

It has weekly prixes of several million, but the value of the jackpots has sunk somewhat as less people play it. Then the extended it to twice a week, and then added scratchcards and so on to keep the money flowing through.

I don't mind it so much because a lot of the money does go to good causes. It's just unfortunate that the board that hands the money out has a very twisted sense of what is worthy.

There is also the Euromillions lottery run by the various companies across Europe which happens once a week and has much large winnings.

M<ost weeks I don't play, but if I am feeling a little bit miserable on Wednesday or Thursday I can buy a lottery ticket and dream of what I might buy with the winnings and it can keep you going to the end of the week.

[TheFlame]

I play once in a while when the jackpot gets big, but I know it's pretty stupid and I'm paying to daydream for a little while then be completely unsurprised when I don't win. I dont have any problem with it, though like CatInASuit I do think the Lottery people could give the charity money to better causes than some of the ones they select - then again, who am I to say what is and isn't a good cause.

[Oliveloaf]

I hate to admit that I get sucked into buying a ticket when the jackpot is big.

I actually won a $300 or so once, having matched 4 or 5 numbers.

[Inner Stickler]

I bought a ticket once when I turned 18 but other than that? No.

[Glazer]

I never buy the state lotto or scratch offs. But i will drop $5 on a quick pick when The Big Game or Mega Millions jackpot is over $100 million.

As the late great Robert A. Heinlein said,"Of course the game is rigged. But you can't win if you don't play.".

[Zuul]

My take on the Lotto, and like scratch-off tickets, is pretty dim.

I worked at a convenience store for a couple of years and witnessed horrifying spending on these games.

I will never forget, it haunts me in my sleep, a regular customer who came into the store every day for a copy of the
racing form. Note that the store was very close to a horse track. He was dressed like street person and drove a horribly
trashed car.

What made this guy so compelling/sad/horrible to me was that he was periodically in the company of a young girl that
I took for his daughter. She, too, was dressed in rags.

One day the guy came in with $1000 in cash. A grand. I figured that he must have hit at the track. what did he do with the money?

He bet the entire $1000 on the daily Pick 4. He played--I will never forget this--1440 straight for the full amount. He had the sense
to play it on 100 separate tickets to dodge potential tax liabilities. Of course he lost it.

I sill feel like scum because I played some role in this guy's folly.

I saw heart-breaking crap like this all the time. Parents would by tickets for their kids. Normal-looking folks plunking down $50-$100
on scratch-off tickets.

What I didn't see much of were casual buyers who spent just a buck or two.

This sounds so depressing, Oliveloaf. Not at all surprising, though. I kind of figured it might be that way. Growing up in Nevada, there were generally two types of local you might meet: gambling addicts and those who didn't gamble at all. I fell into the latter category and I think I was far better off for that.

[Oliveloaf]

I say make pot legal, and outlaw state-sanctioned gambling.

[Nrblex]

I say make pot legal, and outlaw state-sanctioned gambling.

Far less destructive. And those paying taxes on pot are actually getting something out of it, unlike the gamblers.

[Zweedo Rodriguez]

Every day I go to the newsagent and buy the newspaper and a chocolate bar, costs me $2.60, except on Thursday when I spend only $2.40 and buy a Power ball ticket instead of a chocolate bar.

I look at it as gambling is saving me money and helping lose weight.


On a serious note, it does horrify me to see how much money people spend on Lotto. I am spending a $1.40 and feel that is more than I should and they are handing over $100 bills without a worry. Strange.

People who gamble on horse racing are stranger still. It's like they go out of their way to lose their money.

[Oliveloaf]

Spending a couple bucks every now and then is sane and fun. I really doubt that's how most lottery spending runs, though.

[Zuul]

People who gamble on horse racing are stranger still. It's like they go out of their way to lose their money.

Horse racing is quite possibly the only type of gambling I could get addicted to if I let myself. I've never actually done it, but I'll look at the odds, watch the races, think about how I'd bet if I was going to, etc. There's a lot of complexity to it and it isn't purely random like scratch off tickets. There's so much that can go into your choices--the horse's personal as well as genetic history, the jockey, the lineup, etc--that I can completely see how it could take over and ruin someone's life. You can look and pick apart the statistics and find an absolute sure thing...and then lose. And lose. And lose. Because the stats don't mean a damn thing when you're dealing with live animals whose conditions are changing from moment to moment.

[Zuul]

People who gamble on horse racing are stranger still. It's like they go out of their way to lose their money.

Horse racing is quite possibly the only type of gambling I could get addicted to if I let myself. I've never actually done it, but I'll look at the odds, watch the races, think about how I'd bet if I was going to, etc. There's a lot of complexity to it and it isn't purely random like scratch off tickets. There's so much that can go into your choices--the horse's personal as well as genetic history, the jockey, the lineup, etc--that I can completely see how it could take over and ruin someone's life. You can look and pick apart the statistics and find an absolute sure thing...and then lose. And lose. And lose. Because the stats don't mean a damn thing when you're dealing with live animals whose conditions are changing from moment to moment.