Lottery is a rip-off

[simple_gifts]

I don't care if a person who can afford it and views it realistically plays once in a while, but too many people believe it is their ticket out of poverty. The state should not be peddling "a dream"

Picking 1,2,3,4,5,6 as Lotto #'s has the same chance as 1,7,11,23,32,43; but most people I ask would never pick those.

That being said, I guy I know won 4.5 million and didn't quit his job, traded in his diesel rabbit for a Concorde (car, not the plane) and moved closer to work. He was the same well grounded person.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: stranger706
In Florida a big chunk of the lottery goes to education.

That is very myopic thinking, and how the politicians sugar coat and sell these concepts to the unaware public.

I saw the numbers in Michigan. They showed the total money over the decades going to education, both before and after they started the Lottery. The total never changed. For all the money that came from the Lottery, they reduced the exact same amount from the general State fund. There was no additional monies going toward education.

They did the same thing with the additional cigarette tax in Michigan. They said it will go toward children's health care. Yeah - right.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
Lotteries are a regressive tax on the poor since they play it far more often.

When California instituted a lottery they claimed it would send more money to schools. So they simply sent 34% of the lottery money to the schools and removed the equivalent from the original school budget. The net effect is that schools become dependent on the lottery and the schools are no better.


It is in no way my problem if they spend their income on the lottery. Just like it is not my problem if they are malnourished from not being able to AFFORD proper food (because it is being spent on lottery tickets). Unfortnately there is a safety net that does not seem to discriminate true hard times from stupidity.

The schools thing is just wrong. If nothing else, I guess it would be nice to see the lottery by law augmenting the school budget by x% vice replacing. Of course they would still find away around it I suppose...

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Seems like it went over everybody's head.
To expand on Pablo's comment,

There are 52 weeks in a year......

$5 a week.......


New math.. $60 is the answer!

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Seems like it went over everybody's head.
To expand on Pablo's comment,

There are 52 weeks in a year......

$5 a week.......




Many people have me on ignore. Or something.


Anyone who puts Pablo on ignore...

Personally I think that it should be allowed and the max price is $1 million tax free. Not a bad payoff for a $1 "investment".

Of course, I live in one of the 2 states that allow NO gambling/lottery of ANY kind.

(so when the powerball hits big numbers, there is a place in the first town in Idaho that is nailed with customers with Utah license plates up and down the block...

Idaho thanks us!

Take care,
bill

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: BigNick
No taxation on winnings in Canada! You win a jackpot.. you get it all...


That is true! Plus they don't spread it out over 25 years either. If I were to win the $7 million jackpot tonight, I could go to the lottery office on Monday morning and within a few hours they would be cutting me a cheque for the full $7 million amount.

 

[Panzerman]

Ok, I made the mistake of math per year, it comes out to $260 a year, I won $8000 once, and $300 to $500 over the last three years in little wins, soooooo that is still better than anyone I know in the stock markets or with retirement funds. I work with a guy that lost $22,000 in the stock markets last year and only makes $24,000 at his current job. Sooooo he put that money in there all his life and it just "Poof" disappeared, or the worth did, so tell me how is that any dumber than buying lottery tickets?

 

[Dave Hess]

I buy a quick pick $1 ticket once a week, sometimes I have about 20 unchecked tickets that I need to check.

I see lots of low income people spending $20 when buying their lotto ticket, its like winning the lotto is the only way out of poverty.

 

[Tempest]

Quote:
It is in no way my problem if they spend their income on the lottery. Just like it is not my problem if they are malnourished from not being able to AFFORD proper food (because it is being spent on lottery tickets). Unfortnately there is a safety net that does not seem to discriminate true hard times from stupidity.

Simple gifts said it very well:
Quote:
The state should not be peddling "a dream"

So it's not technically a tax, but it is a nearly impossible to reach carrot on a stick in order to get more of people's money.

It appears that the poor pay about 9% of their income to the lottery:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/05/31/poor-people-spend-9-of-income-on-lottery-tickets-heres-why/

 

[JHZR2]

Again, how is it my problem if they are stupid and do this? The only part that becomes my problem is when my taxes go to their foodstamps and whatnot, which I am not keen on. Those programs do not discriminate between the truly down, and those who fritter away their dollars.

You are right that it is not right for the state to peddle a dream to get some revenue, but casinos and other entities do (bingo, 50/50s, raffles), so I guess they figure why not. It is very profitable after all...

 

[PF52]

Here's my pet peeve about the lottery: I hate going into a gas station or convenience store and having to wait in line while some mope ties up the clerk for fifteen minutes buying their daily assortment of lottery tickets. Its always the same - "Give me $5 in quick picks, I need some scratch-offs, here are my numbers for Lotto..." etc, etc.

One of the things I like about paying for gas right at the pump is it keeps me away from the lottery addicts.

 

[Jeff3126]

haha my money is better spent at the strip club, but I only go there 4xs per year.

 

[Dave Hess]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Here's my pet peeve about the lottery: I hate going into a gas station or convenience store and having to wait in line while some mope ties up the clerk for fifteen minutes buying their daily assortment of lottery tickets. Its always the same - "Give me $5 in quick picks, I need some scratch-offs, here are my numbers for Lotto..." etc, etc.


yep, thats why I will NOT go inside to pay for my gas. Another pet peeve is when they have a bunch of unchecked lotto tickets and they have the cashier scan each one while the line is held up for other people. These idiots can go to the lotto website and check them online.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Here's my pet peeve about the lottery: I hate going into a gas station or convenience store and having to wait in line while some mope ties up the clerk for fifteen minutes buying their daily assortment of lottery tickets. Its always the same - "Give me $5 in quick picks, I need some scratch-offs, here are my numbers for Lotto..." etc, etc.

One of the things I like about paying for gas right at the pump is it keeps me away from the lottery addicts.



Oh lord, don't even get me started. My company has an account with the gas station right by our shop. It's in the semi ghetto. We're required to fuel up our vans every evening before coming back to the shop, and it's usually around 5 or 6 pm, right when all the derelicts go to that same gas station for cigarettes and lotto tickets. It's the same people every time holding up the cashier for minutes on end.

 

[NJC]

I have never bought a lottery ticket.

And it's not from a high moral standing ... plus I already give the gov't enough ethanol tax dollars.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Again, how is it my problem if they are stupid and do this?


Sure it is, you're just not to blame.

If you can figure how you can form your own island within the society and totally exempt yourself from all the fallout in only one direction (that which only looks "up") ..by gosh, man, let me broker your process/formula and I'll shirt tail on your genius and be right behind you as we close the door to all this untidy stuff

..but until I can bring that to market, I think one has to look toward "best/most sensible outcomes" as a disposition toward these things.

There are, btw, those who have perfected this process. What you haven't figured out yet ..is that you're one of those that they chose to keep on the outside

 

[Tempest]

If the state is actively enticing the poor to give the state more of their money via an effective scam, thereby keeping them poor...and on government programs, one should very much care.

 

[Shannow]

What about a privatised lottery that petitioned as a part of the sale process that punters should be able to buy their products on credit..and won ?

What about the pubs and clubs who lobby against efforts to stop punters rolling over their winnings, and instead having to take the winnings out of the machine and re-enter it ?

 

[Tempest]

Had to look up punter. The only punters we have here are on the football field.

I see nothing wrong with having gaming machines "hold" money in electronic form and simply cashing out as needed. 10's of thousands of those around here. Just push the cash out button and leave.

As to the first question, are you saying that people should be prevented from buying lottery tickets with a credit card?

 

[PandaBear]

Charity is also a rip off, I never get all the service they provided when I make my donation and the other guys don't. Beside, the charity operator made income / salary out of my donation before giving them out to the other guys.



See how comical my statement is? Now if you look at Lottery as a charity, what's there to complain? They are registered as charity in many countries anyways.

It's not a tax. If you don't like it, don't play. If you don't like others playing it, talk to them and convince them (my uncle may not listen to you because he thinks the happiest time in life is between buying the lottery and the balls are drawn).

 

[Tempest]

Quote:
Now if you look at Lottery as a charity

I don't, and it's not.