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From: cjbiggin@watmath.UUCP (Colin Biggin)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Lotteries
Message-ID: <15740@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 13-Jul-85 13:27:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: watmath.15740
Posted: Sat Jul 13 13:27:18 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 15:00:46 EDT
Reply-To: cjbiggin@watmath.UUCP (Colin Biggin)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 29

>
>Most PEOPLE "aren't very well off, have grungy jobs, and are middling
>desperate about their lives. The unanswered question is: are such people
>more or less likely to buy lottery tickets (which they probably can't
>afford) than are people who are well off or are happy with their jobs
>or lives?

Perhaps the reason they buy lottery tickets is to become well off, quit
their grungy job, and become hopeful and positive about their lives.
Or is that just too obviously simple an explanation as to the motive why 
people buy lottery tickets.

I personally buy about one lottery-type ticket about once every two
months.  It's usually when the pot in 6/49 goes to 6 or 7 million.
I don't get any pangs of guilt when I buy it.  I don't think it's
immoral either.  I seem to remember always having church raffles
around Christmas time.  Not to mention that churches in this country
also run most of the bingo games.  Obviously *anything* taken to
extreme is not a good thing.  But in mild doses, it's not such a
bad thing either...

To the poor and destitute of this country (which is far fewer than
most other countries) lotteries might provide the only hope of a 
better existence. 

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth....
-- 
Colin Biggin
University of Waterloo