Lost opportunity ?

[Shannow]

or how people see the world differently.

Years ago, I bought a scratch lottery ticket off my FIL (was a newsagent).Scratched two $250k.

Read the back of the ticket, and it said something to the effect of "find the same amount three times on the face of the ticket, and win that amount".

Flipped it back over, and while there was 2 $250ks in the scratch panel, there was also a great big $250,000 printed on the front of the card...3 times found on the front.

Wandered over to the shopkeep (FIL), and presented my "winning" ticket.

He told me that I was a wanker, we had a laugh while debating the contractual law aspect of the words versus the intent of the words...ticket went in the bin.

Less than a month later, there was a court case, where another guy had noticed the same issue on his "winning" $50k ticket. He took it to court and won (although the ruling offered that it was an error, and nobody else could use the loophole while the lottery office fixed the words).

Who on the board, if presented such a clear error would have taken the Lotteries office on over the issue ?

 

[NJC]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Who on the board, if presented such a clear error would have taken the Lotteries office on over the issue ?

I wouldn't.

 

[Anduril]

If I throw away the ticket, I'm out $1. If I lose a court case, I'm out a lot more than $1.

 

[oilyriser]

Since lotteries here are a state monopoly, and just another form of tax revenue, I would.

 

[Shannow]

We privatised our ages ago.

Sold them off for a short term buck...idjits.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, the guy who was promised a Harrier Jump Jet for 7million Pepsi points lost in court ..and it was plain as day advertised on television.

It does appear that they found a loophole in the contract ..but

 

[crinkles]

the lottery is also known as the idiot's tax... whether it's state or company run. that goes for pokies, horses, etc etc

 

[Gary Allan]

It funds Penn's PACE program. Did a decent job when my mother needed it.

 

[crinkles]

Gary, that is good, but the state should fund that anyway through other means. Gambling (including lotteries) cause a lot of financial trouble for folks.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: crinkles
Gambling (including lotteries) cause a lot of financial trouble for folks.


California has an ever growing number of Native American (Uh, that's not what they call it!) casinos on tribal land.* Sound the blatant loophole alert immediately! Those of us who gamble (Not me) are supposed to fill the state's empty coffer with bling.

*I know what I'd do if anybody were to set foot on my "tribal land."

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: crinkles
the lottery is also known as the idiot's tax... whether it's state or company run. that goes for pokies, horses, etc etc


Lottery: A tax on the mathematically challenged.

 

[Gary Allan]

Yeah, I tried to argue that with our locals who wanted to use slots to fund public education. I pointed out that Vegas produces nothing. It merely provides a collection spot for cash. His argument was that it was elective cash spent. I pointed out that everyone is pretty much broke on pay day for the lion's share of their income and that anything that acts as a magnet ..derails revenue that would have gone into the same economy anyway.

It's fine if you're on an advancing flame front. If you're on the hind end of the curve ..

 

[oilyriser]

It would be funny to see how the curriculum of a school funded by gambling would evolve over time. Classes in logic and statistics would slowly shrink and disappear, since they militate against the funding source.

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: oilyriser
It would be funny to see how the curriculum of a school funded by gambling would evolve over time. Classes in logic and statistics would slowly shrink and disappear, since they militate against the funding source.

too true...

 

[Gary Allan]

It wasn't going to eliminate school taxes. It was alleged to reduce property taxes ..which merely means a slight delay to taxes as usual.