Do you have a state lottery? Do you think they're immoral?

Our Church feels the same way. There was a man in our neighborhood who had won the lottery. He was not a church member, but he wanted to do something good for the church because well our neighborhood is mainly working middle class - most being railway workers or retired railway workers, but the elders had to refuse because that money was taken off the backs of the poor. And gambling victimizing the poor. I see these over 65s buying lottery tickets at the mall and I am sure on their Old Age Security and supplements they cannot afford to. And even though the lottery money that is not paid out is to go to help the hospitals and schools, it is not right. My husband plays the lottery, and so far all he has won was free lottery tickets. He says he will give most of the money to our sons who had always had good careers, and can provide for their families and to his brothers and sisters who had to struggle like he did, but I do not like the idea. I would have rather he put some of the stock money aside to help them out. If I enter a contest and win it by answering a skill testing question, would that not be better than winning by chance and using our hard earned money?

yeah they are immoral. Lotteries are just another way for the government to get more money out of people who are dumb enough to fall for it. Then, some states even make people feel good about playing by telling them that the money they spend goes to the school systems. If this is true, with all the money that people spend on lottery tickets every day, how come every school system in the country is going broke? Schools are being closed due to lack of money. Where is all that money the lottery supposedly puts back into the school systems? Also, when someone DOES win big, the government takes its share of the winnings in the form of income taxes. Yet another government rip off. What is truly sad, though, is that a lot of people who win those lotteries don't have enough common sense or education to use that money to put themselves into a financial position where they would never have to work again. They go out and buy big houses, boats, fancy cars, etc. They don't think to get a financial planner and invest that money so that it is making them money each month in the form of interest. Often, they end up in worst financial shape than they were before winning the lottery, because they find they cannot afford to finish paying for or maintain those big houses or fancy cars and things they bought with the winnings. Lotteries are truly a scam all the way around...I do not play them...

What might be immoral to some, may not be immoral to others. Personally I don't see lottery winnings as "blood money", but at the same time those that are receiving assistance such as food stamps shouldn't be spending $10-$50 or more a month on lottery tickets either, though I guess that is their choice. I'll admit, I do buy lotto tickets (either Super Lotto or Mega Millions) every now and then, especially if the jackpot is high, if I remember to play. Though if I forget it isn't a big deal. The most I've spent at one time was $5 once, when the jackpot was well over $100 million, though on average I have spent a couple of dollars a month, at the most. I didn't buy any lottery tickets for about 4 or 5 months because I don't always carry cash on me, and if I don't have any money in my wallet then I don't worry about buying a ticket. I finally bought $2.00 on Mega Millions for yesterday's draw, but that was a waste as I only got one number. But if people, including myself, didn't play then we wouldn't have a chance to win (even if the chance of winning is slim to none). As you can guess I would rather take my chances on spending a dollar on Lotto than throwing it away in the gutter. I don't remember how much I have won. A couple dollars here, a dollar there. So all in all I probably broke even in the few years that I have played. As long as people play responsibly then I don't see a problem with it.

Yes, our state has a lottery, and like all the other states, those who wanted the lottery lied and said the money would go for education. Right. The money goes into the general fund, just like in every other state. I have not purchased a lottery ticket since...about 1975. My church frowns upon the lottery too, because it's gambling. The Bible tells us that everything we have comes from God and belongs to God and we are merely stewards. Gambling is not good stewardship. When I first moved to Central FL years ago, I was shocked the first time I went into a convenience store. There were about 18 migrant workers (illegals, I'm sure) who could not speak a lick of English. They were spending every penny they had buying lottery tickets. To me, the selling of lottery tickets to people who cannot afford them is immoral. It's like selling booze to someone who is drunk on his/her butt. It shouldn't be done. But even something as innocent as bingo can be bad, not only because it's also a form of gambling and costs so much money, but because so many people focus on that instead of their families. I remember holding a girl in my neighborhood as she cried...because her mother thought going to bingo was more important than being with her daughter as she waited for her "date" to her very first dance. I made sure I took pictures for her, since her mom didn't bother.

No, I don't think they are immoral. If people want to play, then let them. Who are we to tell people that they shouldn't buy the tickets? And if the Church turned it down then I'd say to heck with them. I'd go out and spent it, or donate it to a needy animal shelter.

Well, if you are spending your money on food stamps, you would certainly want to find a way out of your situation. Never mind the fact that I can prove it to you, that mathematically a lottery is a losing investment, the fact that there is a chance for you to win that big pot and get out of the mess that your life is in is enough to make most people ignore the odds actually being heavily skewed against them. And I don't think it's so much the fact that lottery targets the poor, but rather the fact that the relative value of the winnings is much higher to them compared to people in other income brackets. I myself don't play, but my parents do, and I have given up on trying to talk them out of it.

I hear exactly what you are saying. Those poor people who spend all their money on tickets, are wishful thinkers. They are hoping that it's their time to win. I see the same thing, when I go into the local convenience store. I wonder how these people can afford to spend so much on these tickets. Granted, I have played before, and I have won a few times, but I do not make a habit of it, because I know my chances of win are slim to none. The times I did win, I played that one time, and couldn't believe that the number actually came out. I do not think it is immoral though. I do not know what my Pastor would say or do, if one of his members wanted to tithe a large sum of money won via the lottery. Maybe this person, can donate the unaccepted money to a children's hospital or some other worth while cause. A lot of people have the mind set that the lottery is the way to get them out of their situations. The commercials do not help either "all it takes is a dollar and a dream" Good post