[SamAdams76]

The compassionate side of me, says that if a person is so darn poor, and they never, never can see a chance to make any big money, or inherit it, then what the heck is wrong with investing a couple of bucks to try and win something?

Let them go to the dog track or Atlantic City. Or their local Bingo hall at the church. I just don't think the government's role is to be that of a "bookie."

[mewzilla]

Who's dumber? The person who bought a lottery ticket or one who invested in Enron? My money's on the latter. And if you're talking morality, if gambling's immoral, so's investing. And for the same reasons.

[spectre]

No bingo in Arkansas. Not even in the Catholic Church. It's been outlawed, considered "gambling". They raid Bingo parlors here!

They have to go to Memphis to bet on the dogs.

We do have a Horse Track in Hot Springs, and it's OK to bet on the ponies there, but no other gambling in Arkansas is allowed...go figure.

Most Arkansans cross the State Line, about 90 minutes from Little Rock to gamble in Tunica, Mississippi. Lots of Casino's being built from the losers who hang out there.

A State Lottery would do wonders for Arkansas. People are going to gamble anyway, so why should Mississippi profit from all our gambling money?

sw

[Wonder Warthog]

"I just don't think the government's role is to be that of a "bookie.""

At the STATE level, the government's role is whatever the people decide it is, with certain civil liberties limitations. The people can certainly decide that "acting as bookie" can be a role of state government--all they have to do is modify their state Constitution to allow it. You and I may not like it, but thems the breaks.