11-16-2022, 11:23 AM
Perhaps it's time to rethink the concept of state run lotteries and what purpose they serve. Most were originally conceived during the inflationary malaise that existed in the 1970s, around the time folks were weary from the oil shocks where many had to wait in long line to get gas for their cars. That in and of itself was a wakeup call that was largely abandoned once the conceived shortage subsided. To this day many feel that that shortage was a hoax to get prices up.
In my home state of Illinois the lottery began in 1974 as a way to provide education funding. It is debatable as to how well that really worked. But what is obvious as the half century mark approaches is that it is something that has been sold largely to the less well to do among us, many of whom treat it largely as religion. This is manifested in the stampedes to convenience stores when the jackpots become huge. I once waited in line at a convenience store for some 16 minutes as a woman in front of me hobnobbed over which lottery tickets to purchase.
It was said recently that the media frenzy over the recent huge Powerball jackpot has done little to expose the predatory quality of lottery operators. The relatively low cost of buying a single ticket can lead to addictive behaviors where many are led to literally kneeling at the feet of the lottery operators. These behaviors can be extremely destructive to already distressed households.
Personally I tried playing the Illinois lotto for quite a few years but for the most part gave it up because I very seldom got much of a return on the investment.
A recent piece in the Truthout publication is quite the expose on the obvious and maybe not so obvious flaws of these lotteries, which are now in nearly every state in the union. It was asked that material not be reprinted without permission and so I shall respect that wish. But you can go to http://www.truthout.org and read it there and then comment back here.
In my home state of Illinois the lottery began in 1974 as a way to provide education funding. It is debatable as to how well that really worked. But what is obvious as the half century mark approaches is that it is something that has been sold largely to the less well to do among us, many of whom treat it largely as religion. This is manifested in the stampedes to convenience stores when the jackpots become huge. I once waited in line at a convenience store for some 16 minutes as a woman in front of me hobnobbed over which lottery tickets to purchase.
It was said recently that the media frenzy over the recent huge Powerball jackpot has done little to expose the predatory quality of lottery operators. The relatively low cost of buying a single ticket can lead to addictive behaviors where many are led to literally kneeling at the feet of the lottery operators. These behaviors can be extremely destructive to already distressed households.
Personally I tried playing the Illinois lotto for quite a few years but for the most part gave it up because I very seldom got much of a return on the investment.
A recent piece in the Truthout publication is quite the expose on the obvious and maybe not so obvious flaws of these lotteries, which are now in nearly every state in the union. It was asked that material not be reprinted without permission and so I shall respect that wish. But you can go to http://www.truthout.org and read it there and then comment back here.