Surprise, surprise: The lottery rifles the pockets of the poor

San Antonio Express-News ^ | 02/06/2005 | Ken Rodriguez

[SwinneySwitch]

There's a reason why they call the lottery an idiot tax, Ken.

[U S Army EOD]

You have to figure out some way to tax them.

[Tax Government]

Government-run lotteries seek to tax poverty out of existence.

[5Madman2]

I have no sympathy

Most don't pay taxes or live on the dole

The lottery could be viewed as a way to recoup some of those losses

[rdb3]

Let them keep playing the lottery! I love watching lottery players willfully giving money over to the state. For a lot of them, it's about the only real tax they'll pay throughout the year.

[College Repub]

Are those stats for avg amount speant per month only applicable for the population of people who actually do participate in the lottery? I would hope they aren't average stats that take the entire population of citizens into consideration.

[Blueflag]

Jeff Foxworthy tells redneck jokes about this FACT. This is not news.

Rich people spend (waste?) more on expensive wines and 'exquisite' restaurant meals, and buy the same coat for 3X what my 'poor' sister-in-law pays on the bargain rack.

People get to make their own choices. Get over it.

[Arkie2]

I guess Jeff Foxworthy was right. He said the lottery is a redneck's retirement plan.

[bad company]

Lotteries are get rich quick schemes for people that are bad at math.

[GSlob]

IIRC, Jefferson called the lotteries the fairest tax, for the burden was always borne by willing carriers (I might be misattributing the quotation). The article omits that there must have been packs of armed goons forcing the low-income participants to buy more tickets while letting better-off participants off.

[buccaneer81]

As Claude Raines said in "Casablanca", "Shocking".

[Fzob]

Lotteries: a tax on hope.

[sportutegrl]

If only my state income tax were VOLUNTARY. The lottery is not a tax, people. It is voluntary. You don't HAVE to play, you know. Besides, it is a bargain. For the price of one ticket, you can play the "what would I do if I win" game. I have never played the lottery, though.

[theDentist]

I only play when it gets to around $70Million. And for at least the next day I ignore TV, Radio, Newspaper, and Internet, and I walk around knowing I'm worth millions! :)

.... then someone ruins it for me.

[humblegunner]

Lotteries are get rich quick schemes for people that are bad at math.

Lotteries are a tax for folks who can't do math.

[familyop]

...excellent post! Using sinful vice to cheat stupid people is not good conservatism.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Texans who earn the least spend more per player on the lottery than those in the highest income groups.

So? This is some how a surprise?

How do you think the high income group got that way?

[sgtbono2002]

There is nothing new about this. Maryland says they cant allow slot machines because poor people would play them . Hell the better off people are traveling 100 miles to Delaware to and West Virginia to give those states their money while I cant pay for my gas at the local store because I have to wait for the ones who cant afford to go to Delaware to passover their money on the Lotto.What a batch of BS.

[SwinneySwitch]

Went to "news and events" section and couldn't find anything.

Maybe they've pulled the study?

http://www.txlottery.org/news/news.cfm

[freedumb2003]

The lottery rifles the pockets of the poor

Lotteries do no such thing. These people CHOOSE to participate. The fact they are of a lower income bracket say nothing more than the fact that these people have low incomes due to their life choices (for the most part).

"Progressive tax" -- now THAT is rifling pockets.