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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Lotteries
Message-ID: <5778@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 12:35:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5778
Posted: Thu Jul 11 12:35:17 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Jul-85 12:35:17 EDT
References: <1121@ubc-cs.UUCP> <1110@mnetor.UUCP> <695@lsuc.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
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> ...  A rational person who knows something about probability and has
> alternative ways to improve his or her situation does not buy lottery tickets.

I think I fit this description, and I occasionally buy a lottery ticket.
I don't expect to win; the cost is filed under "entertainment expenses"
rather than "investments".  Mind you, my lottery-ticket budget is $20/yr,
and I've underspent it for the last decade or so...

I generally agree with the rest of Jim's comments.  Lottery advertising
is particularly obnoxious, and is obviously aimed at convincing the stupid
and poor that their lucky day is just around the corner.  I'm not sure that
I consider the lottery business out-and-out morally wrong, since the
reasoning for this would apply to many other forms of advertising hype as
well, but it's definitely on the sleazy side.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry