OK, I'm not sure this belongs here.

I believe (strictly my opinions) that more poor people try the lottery than rich or middle class people do. Rich people and middle class people usually have an education. They learn, in math, probability and odds. As they learn this, they realize that there is almost no chance of winning. A lot of poor people do not have a good education and do not learn this. They want a chance to ''strike it rich''.

But most lotterys dont even guarantee a winner. I say that should be illegal. There should be a guarnateed winner every time. i understand that you really cant make the lottery illegal, but there should be a law at least for that.

As a Georgian that plans on going to college real soon because i have a nice GPA, i want (altho dont support) the Hope Scholarship. THe Hope Scholarship is a scholarship that pays for 2 yrs of college for anyone with a 3.0 or above GPA (all B's). It is funded by the lottery. It is a democratic program made by the fmr gov. Roy Barnes. Since most poor people dont get too good an education, it is said that the lottery is a tax on the poor to get rich kids to college. As a republican, i believe that the lottery should be illegal. But that sure aint happening. So might as well take advantage of it.

L. Zeved

The lottery is not exactly a tax on the poor cause it is entirely voluntary. Nobody is forcing the poor, or anybody else, to buy a lottery ticket.

I believe that for lotteries that don't have a winner, the money rolls over to the next drawing. So eventually somebody will win.

Though lotteries isn't the greatest idea in the world, there are some good things about lotteries. It gives purchasers a little bit of hope. Though the odds are that they'll never win any money, they have at least bought some hope. And some of the money does go to good causes (Hope Scholarship).

I wish all taxes could be so voluntary.

Even poor people have access to public schools in which one is taught, if one takes the time to learn, mathematics.

I'd have to agree that poor people probably buy more tickets than those who don't have money troubles, but why is that bad? They make the choice and the probabilities are clearly posted. Perhaps their money troubles wouldn't be so troubling if they eliminated uneccessary expenses, such as lottery tickets.

People generally have money for a reason, same for those without money. There are exceptions, of course, but I am just generally speaking.

Look at the spending, investing and saving differences between those with troubles and those without. Lottery tickets, the tax on the poor is just a slight example of that.

Lord Zeved, did you ever once consider that the lottery is a "GOOD" thing? It helps out the economy, it makes some people rich, and it's voluntary. How can it be a bad thing? I mean sure, if you see a fool go out and buy like 800 tickets for themselves, that's their own fault and they should know better. And when you hear commercials advertising it, it even tells you the probability of winning. So, tell me again... why should it be illegal?

Spoken like a true Republican.

I haven't seen any stats, but I expect it is probably correct to assume that the majority of those who buy tickets are working class or lower middle class. I think the better argument here would be that lottery earnings (by the state) should be put into programs which would benefit those most likely to be investing in lottery tickets.

Which is done, a lot of these lotteries, like in GA and SC, are Education Lotteries. As Z mentioned, there is the Hope Scholarship in GA. So the money spent on the tickets is put back to where it's needed. Not all of it, but enough to benefit.

Does anyone else see the obvious hypocrisy with state lotteries?In most states private lotteries are illegal. This is based on the idea that gambling is a harmful vice that people should be protected from. These same states spend millions running and promoting lotteries. The mob used to run a game called the numbers, the odds of winning were one in a thousand. The payoff on a dollar bet was $600. The state of Texas runs the same game by a different name. The payoff is only $500. Moral: You are better off dealing with the mob then the state.

If private gambling were legal then the government wouldnt' get a cut and it would be sad.

Of course it's hypocrisy. What about the fact that pyramid schemes are also illegal? Yet, the USG runs the biggest pyramid scheme in the world, the Social Security System.

Yes, SS is the king of ponzi schemes.