From the article:
“The Washington State Lottery made $565 million during the 2012-13 fiscal year. According to the annual revenue report, 60 percent of that money was used for awarding prizes, and another 20 percent was divvied up among sales, administration, retailer commission, economic development, and state programs.The remaining 20 percent of the lottery earnings was used for the Washington Pathways account that funds higher education.”
Good point on spending / investing the money wisely would be a better return for the government perhaps. Most of those things you mentioned have a sales tax in Washington state.
These lotteries remind me of the line in that one movie with the girl heroine with the bow and arrow fighting against the all-powerful government (The Hunger Games) where the president says something like:
“It is good for the people to have Hope. Just not too much of it.”
bump!
exactly
The lotto is most like the Hunger Games. I spend a buck here and there but I know the chances are slim.
Unless something happens soon, The Hunger Games is what we have to look forward to in the not to distant future.