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It is a poor tax, though. An incredibly regressive tax that defeats any chance for upward mobility for millions of people. It's exploitive.

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You really think the money a poor person spends on lotto is preventing them from moving up in the world?

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I have some 30-40k a year household relatives that spend a good bit of change gambling. at very least 10% and even then I think i'm giving them too much credit. So yes I think it is preventing some from spending a little better rather than relying on false hopes.

I don't buy it. The people that I know that are poor and spend money on the lottery would absolutely waste the money on something else (junk food, cigarettes, booze, lawn ornaments).

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It is a poor tax, though. An incredibly regressive tax that defeats any chance for upward mobility for millions of people. It's exploitive.

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You really think the money a poor person spends on lotto is preventing them from moving up in the world?

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The poor in America spend a significant portion of their income on lotto tickets, and the poorer the person, the worse the problem. The poorest third of Americans buy half the tickets. These are the same people who are most likely to leave the work force with no savings, to carry debt, and other drains on long-term stability.

Even a few hundred dollars a year can make a big difference in security, health, and opportunity, and that's a very low number for a dedicated lotto player.

The bigger problem to me is that the lottery commission actively markets to and targets that demographic. It's gross.

Let's say a working poor has a $100 in discreshionary money each week. If he spends $5-$10 on loto tickets, yet has no savings, then yes playing the loto is helping to keep him poor. Now figure other bad spending choices likely to coincide like alcohol, cigarettes and fast food, there goes the hundred and likely any chance at self betterment.

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Let's say a working poor has a $100 in discreshionary money each week. If he spends $5-$10 on loto tickets, yet has no savings, then yes playing the loto is helping to keep him poor. Now figure other bad spending choices likely to coincide like alcohol, cigarettes and fast food, there goes the hundred and likely any chance at self betterment.

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Uhh... do what?

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The poor in America spend a significant portion of their income on lotto tickets, and the poorer the person, the worse the problem. The poorest third of Americans buy half the tickets. These are the same people who are most likely to leave the work force with no savings, to carry debt, and other drains on long-term stability.

Even a few hundred dollars a year can make a big difference in security, health, and opportunity, and that's a very low number for a dedicated lotto player.

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Indeed. One of my good friends owns a C-store in Marlin. Their family has owned it for years as well as the tire shop and fuel company next door.

Recently, I was in the tire shop ordering some new tires for my tractor and I noticed one of the ladies in the office with a huge pile of paperwork on her desk and looking frustrated. I asked what was up and she was balancing Lottery sales reports. She then told me that their little store in Marlin was in the top 10% of gross Lottery sales in the state. She said from the time they open at 6am until close at midnight, they have the same groups of low income folks coming playing scratch off games and the various number games, all day every day. She said they have had several $100k+ winners but never had sold a huge winning ticket.

It is truly a tax on the poor and weak minded.

Of course this GB thread turned into an argument. Of course.

Meh.....if they were poor and stupid before the lotto, the vast majority of those people are still poor and stupid.....and the lotto didn't "keep" them that way.

The lotto is a tax on stupid (which often correlates with poor). It's also a voluntary "tax", which I have zero problem with (especially considering the other non-voluntary taxes we're faced with)



One of my first jobs was cleaning up construction sites when I was in junior high. On Friday afternoon at paycheck time, a lot of the guys would have the boss/owner cash their check for them and they would immediately start throwing dice. At age 12, I knew I didn't want to lose the money I had earned that week. Some of those dummies would roll away half of their pay before they ever went home. And this was years before the lottery began in Texas.

Already mailed my letter asking for $1MM

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The couple from Tennessee that bought one of the winning tickets was on The Today Show this morning.

Apparently this was on the advice of their lawyer.

HUGE mistake.

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Lawyer probably did this on purpose to further create chaos so he can just happen to be around to pick up the pieces.

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Found a picture of the attorney

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