The old saying goes, "Lotteries are taxes on people who are bad at math."

great job David and I completely agree - the morality of state sponsored gambling is beneath contempt. I said a lot of the same things here

What percentage of a state's revenues comes from this source? Are there any stats?

Excellent post, David

Down here in Florida, some people call our lottery the "stupid tax."

"The house always wins" is a universal truth, as is the old adage, "No one can take advantage of you without your permission."

I can't feel too sorry for people who fall victim to their own greed.

agreed, but what's even worse is they aren't JUST falling prey to their own greed, they are also falling prey to enticemetns from their own government to waste their money on this stupidity

Well said Eric. I think the question to ask is whether we want to maintain the philosophy of government serving the people or change it to one which the government feeds off of the people in the guise of serving the people.

David

Eric Olsen wrote: "they are also falling prey to enticemetns from their own government to waste their money on this stupidity"

If these enticements have such power over free will, how come you haven't fallen for them? Just something to contemplate.

As for the moral implications of state governments being in the gambling business, wouldn't that depend upon whether a state lottery was imposed upon the people by their state legislatures or if the people voted for it?

I am not sure of other states, but in Florida, it was the voters who chose to amend our state constitution to authorize the lottery -- and by a 2 to 1 margin, no less.

Eric is able to resist the Force, Jedi-like

I think gambling should be legal, but I don't like the idea of government-run gambling. The government shouldn't be in the business of stacking the deck against its citizens. That's for companies to do!

Yes BHW, corporations should be the only ones "keeping the man down." Those evil companies do nothing but hold us under their thumbs... Well, that, and provide our paychecks, and work to provide cheaper services so they can compete, and maybe a few other things.

But in every other way, they are EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!!!!!!!!!!

This public service announcement brought to you by the New Moronco Nose Twaddler.

L-i-g-h-t-e-n up, Flanagan.

Hey! Thats my version of being laid back. :-)

David

Whew!

what bhw said, I'm opposed to gambling but am also opposed to undue governemnt restrictions so let the private sector be the keepers of the vice. I do not want the government to enable, promote, encourage, and ultimately be dependent upon vice revenues pried from the hands of the stupid, the ignorant, the deluded and the greedy

and Margaret, Florida can legalize gambling without having the state run he game

I agree with both you and BHW. Really, I was just being goofy with my message to you bhw, but text doesn't convey that very well.

I have far fewer problems with the company, Scientific Discovery, which is quickly mastering the art of seperating us from our money than I do with state governments which are then mixing what I see as public enterprise with government.

I don't know for sure, but perhaps a good example would be a government that bans alcohol, except that which they sell. Does that fit this situation?

Thanks,

David

Not a very good example, David, AFAIK, governments allow the sale of only licensed alcohol. But I agree with you that governments should not have state-sponsored lotteries.

The markets are lottery enough:)

The markets are lottery enough:)

Very true.

Thanks, :-)

David

Eric Olsen wrote: "and Margaret, Florida can legalize gambling without having the state run he game"

You know, I hadn't given that angle much thought. Too much thinking about liberty and free will and not enough thinking about the ethical considerations. I am going to have to re-think my position with regard to the government actually running a vice business.

very open-minded of you Margaret, I commend you and appreciate the attitude

Look. If you spend your entire paycheck on scratch-offs, you need a sign (thank you, Jeff Foxworthy).

But what's the big deal about a non-impoverished person buying a few tickets a month?

Look, if you LOSE, the state gets a little more cash to fund "education" or whatever.

And if you WIN, well, you win!

So, I don;t have much of a problem with gambling, whether it's state-run or privately-run.

As long as there is some regulating force to ensure it's all on the up-and-up, I'm cool with it...

Margaret, whilst re-thinking your "position with regard to the government actually running a vice business" perhaps you could also meditate upon the word "vice".

Here's a starter:
vice n.
An evil, degrading, or immoral practice or habit.
A serious moral failing.
Wicked or evil conduct or habits; corruption.
Sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

sounds like gambling to me

Gambling is an immoral practice, even if it is not a moral crime.

Of course it would be prideful to submit that people who gamble are generally immoral because our vices are a part of what makes us human. None of us are free of vice. I would be very suspicious of anyone who claimed that he or she is.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" -- Romans 3:23

Margaret, you are too deeply subjective; Gambling is simply a practice, morality has nothing to do with it.

Shame on you for being so judgemental. Doesn't your ideology say something about glass houses and stones?

What makes some people sensitive about the use of the word immoral to describe vice is how that word has been subjectively used as a political weapon by judgemental people who have certain temporal agendas.

Gambling is an immoral practice because of its connection to the deadly sin of greed. Anything whose enjoyment relies upon natural human weaknesses can be described as a vice. But that does not mean that indulgence is wrong and should always be avoided.

Vices, enjoyed in moderation, are usually relatively harmless as long as we understand the consequences of immoderation and practice temperance as most people do.

However, this does not discount humanity's inherent potential for intemperance and excess with regard to vice. It is this human potential that makes vices immoral.

The immorality of vice is merely a warning to exercise self-control and to guard against excess because the potential for immoderation is always there, even if it is only triggered on rare occasions.

exceptionally put Margaret - excluding the religious foundation of "vice" and "morality," which I believe is at the foundation of Margaret's perspective here, gambling is a waste of time and money, both of which could be put to better use in virtually any other non-criminal way and as such I am deeply against the state luring the greedy, stupid and unsuspecting into this endeavor for its own benefit (revenue). I don't want to criminalize gambling for some of the same reason I don't want to criminalize drugs, but I don't want my government actively encouraging the practice either.

Besides, anything we give the government power to control, we get more of (see: War on Drugs, taxes, etc.). The last thing we need is more gambling.

Eric,
Is it necessary to impose your so-called expertise on every single comment? The only other former disc jockey I can think of who pretends to be such a know-it-all on so many varied topics is blowhard Rush Limbaugh.

Ron, a clue: Eric Olsen is one of BlogCritics' managing editors, founders, owners - however you put it, his opinions are part of what drives the site.

Check the Leaderboard for further evidence.

Expertise is where you find it. Eric is willing to put his opinions out in the open, in his own posts as well as in Comments, where all can debate them, pick holes, sling mud, etc. as desired.

I claim no particular expertise on anything, Ron. I'm a generalist, and the best part about being a generalist is you can give your opinion on anything, which I am generally quite pleased to do.

You might also pose your question about "former" industrial janitors, forklift drivers, house painters, authors, TV personalities, journalists, essayists, critics, entrepreneurs, bar tenders, and record producers, since I have done those things too.

oh, and don't forget the title that allows me to do this in the first place: blogger.

thanks Pat, you are very supportive. By way of context, I note from Ron's commenting history that he takes a decidedly rather broadly anti-Eric stance - you can't please everyone.

One needn't be religious to appreciate that if we do not keep our seven most deadly natural human weaknesses -- pride, wrath, greed, covetousness, lust, gluttony and sloth -- in check that we will probably come to no good end right here in this life on this Earth.

Wastefulness, which is a byproduct of sloth, is contrary to the virtue of thrift, which is born of the natural human strengths, prudence and temperance. This might seem to be a religious assertion -- especially coming from someone who has quoted Biblical wisdom on many occasions -- but all of these terms have temporal as well as spiritual relevance.

BTW, the more I think about it, the more it bothers me that my state government is running a gambling operation -- though I do not think that there is much that can be done about it because the Florida lottery, which we've had since 1986, is extremely popular.

Thanks, David. A game open only to those with 'large amounts of disposable income'.

Has anyone ever told you that you're a modern day Robin Hood? ;-)

.. that wasn't spaced right...

A game open only to those with 'large amounts of disposable income'. Has anyone ever told you that you're a modern day Robin Hood? ;-)

the seven most deadly natural human weaknesses? how about

Killing
Bullying
Lying
Dogmatism
Betrayal
Rape
Robbery

any other candidates anybody?

I'd have to add overeatintg/gluttony or
however you wish to phrase that.

"Is it necessary to impose your so-called expertise on every single comment? The only other former disc jockey I can think of who pretends to be such a know-it-all on so many varied topics is blowhard Rush Limbaugh."

Is this Mac Diva?

Jealousy, selfishness

Cynicism/pessimism...

Probablity has nothing to do with my stupidity. I know what my odds are, but it's the rush, the emotions. Sometimes, I forget I bought a ticket and miss the announcement of the winning ticket.

Olsen,
I too am a "generalist," and as a veteran I've paid the price to voice my opinion - in spite of your superior intellect and ego.

no one said you can't or shouldn't, Ron