Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!cjbiggin 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