Lottery is a poor man's tax

[goinmerry]

Is government owned lottery a scummy way to tax the poor people?
How far are you willing to gamble to win the coveted jackpot (If you are playing lottery)?

Thinking a lottery is a scammy way to tax poor people is not a valid point. In the first place, no one forces them to joined lotteries. We can't blame these poor people if they are taking chances. After all, this was the only gambling they can play with only a few bucks to join. And the winnings are insane so it's just a win-win situation to them.

Countries really need these lotteries as it was a big help for funding government projects such as infrastructures and other essentials. But we can't deny the fact that there's corruption so we just need to trust that the department involved in monitoring the government's fund is doing their job.

[xSkylarx]

Do you think that the pros of playing lottery outweigh the cons or vice versa?

It depends on someone how often he bets on a lottery. Some spend almost half of their daily earnings which is not good, and some who bets once a day hoping it would change their life.

Is government owned lottery a scummy way to tax the poor people?

No, I don't think so. Like here in our country the government owned lottery helps the unfortunate people to have some discount on their hospital bills.

How far are you willing to gamble to win the coveted jackpot (If you are playing lottery)?

Only once a day, that's all I'm willing to bet. As you've said there are millions of combination to win in a lottery game so if you are given a chance to win there I'd consider it as a blessing from above.

[aioc]

If the operators cannot show legit winners of their lottery then we can say that it is indeed a poor man's tax and people are having a delusion that they are going to win a lottery but so far here in our country, there are testimonials from real people who won the tournament, yes people are winning here that is why the ticket sales are always record-breaking whenever there is a huge jackpot because people want to win a lottery for a life-changing event of their lives.

[Shasha80]

I suggest not getting your hopes up of winning the lottery, because the chances of winning are very small. And there is still the possibility of
being cheated, therefore I joined the lottery for entertainment only. I also agree with the opinion that most people who enter the lottery are in
the lower middle class economy. Because they think the Lottery can provide instant wealth, so many poor people try their luck.

[Lorence.xD]

The pros and cons depend on how addicted the player. If they only spent like $10 per month, it's really not a big deal for the hope of getting rich. People need hope!
The cons start when they spent more and have foolish expectations.

10$ might look insignificant on a small but imagine if they do it zealously for a year, that is 120$ in annual spending in lottery which does not guarantee a win. If they used it for other things like essentials in a household if you are from a low income household or you could have invested it in bitcoin if you have access in purchasing it. There are plenty of options out there to spend that amount that has worth. It may look insignificant in annual scale but the accumulation over time will make you regret your decision to spend it on lottery tickets.

I totally agree with the idea that lottery is a poor man's tax, but when you're in that position and desperate - it looks like a way out. The odds against you are so astronomical that you are effectively wasting money if you do this form of betting on a regular basis. There will always be a winner, but you'll find that lottery operators are constantly tweaking the numbers and it is rarely to favor the people buying tickets.

That is the sad reality about lottery, it entices people the idea of easy escape in poverty even when the odds are stacked against them in colossal scale. I have to commend the first people to introduce lottery to the masses because masses hate tax but they love gambling. Yes there will be occasional winners but either they spend it on stupid things that effectively waste the money or they become so miserable because they do not know what to do with the money they have. There is a book about the latter that documents winners of lottery and their behavior after winning. I forgot the title but I think it can easily be searchable.

I have a negative attitude to state lotteries, as I do not believe in the integrity of such lotteries. In my opinion, more transparency is needed to ensure the necessary level of trust. This could be achieved using a blockchain, but my state is unlikely to do it.

I am the same as you, because most of the news headline in my country is all about corruption in the government. I effectively lost faith in the lottery system in my country even if they say that the proceeds will go to charity.

[maydna]

I suggest not getting your hopes up of winning the lottery, because the chances of winning are very small. And there is still the possibility of
being cheated, therefore I joined the lottery for entertainment only. I also agree with the opinion that most people who enter the lottery are in
the lower middle class economy. Because they think the Lottery can provide instant wealth, so many poor people try their luck.

It's better to play lottery games for entertainment because we will not think much about losing the money. We know the consequences of losing money from the lottery games, and even if we can't win the jackpot, we will be okay, and we can try to buy the ticket on the other days. But most people buy so many tickets, especially if the lottery price is cheap, so people can buy a lot of tickets, just hope that one of the tickets will come to be the winner. Many people like to play a lottery game because they aim to win the prizes, not just poor people, but the middle and high-class economy will also like it.

[Bitsaurus]

It comes down to a inability to judge optimism and reality properly. Poor people are either too despondent about their situation so they're in a depressed state or they feel overly optimistic about their chances to win despite know that the ticket may state the odds of winning are 1 in 43 million or something to that effect. Instead of focusing on themselves to improve their condition the long arduous way they're looking for a shortcut. for middle class and rich people it's probably more of an excitement issue than a need to achieve some goal.

[Lorence.xD]

You forgot to mention the true appeal of a lottery and state lottery for example which is the cost of a ticket.Usually varies in developed countries between 1-3 Eur or Usd and in third world countries to 1 Usd max.These are amounts anyone can afford even those hanging near the poverty line as even the one with the minimum wage can decide to spend 5 usd on tickets every week and rely on luck.That is what makes lottery a very lucrative form of gambling even for people who only play lottery and are not real gamblers.

I forgot about that, and you are right. The ticket prices appeals strongly towards people as much as advertising. The individual price of the ticket is a psychological tactic employed by business to make people think that they are not spending that much when they are purchasing something which in turn makes the chances of this people to buy more go higher.

Everyone will definitely hope to win a lottery, this is a natural thing because whatever prizes we get can be used as additional income. The problem is when it becomes a habit and costs a lot of money to pursue the opportunity. What is wrong is not in the habit but using a lot of money to get a chance to win the lottery so that the habit becomes bad.

The chance to win the lottery is always related to luck, although buying many combinations can increase the odds, but if we are not lucky then we could still lose.

I agree that occasional bets are alright, but this occasional bets could be bad when you are buying bulks of tickets. Habitual lottery betting is as bad as buying a lot of combinations in one go because they only differ from time scale, buying 12 tickets occasionally is the same as habitual 1 ticket. Lottery for the most part is always a lose for those who bet.

The promise of a good life after winning the lottery is what gets poor people hooked to playing the lottery. I have known a lot of people 'taking care' of certain numbers for decades and still hasn't won a single cent, and have even told them had they saved those few $ per bet, they would have gotten somewhere else now.

I have my share of people who have played the lottery and regretted doing it too. Thanks especially to my parents for teaching the dangers of playing lottery. I feel bad for this people and the money that they have spent because I always imagine what could have been of their money if they did not spend it on lottery to take chance to get the jackpot, if only they knew of compound interest or investment, they could have been more happier and more content than the people winning the jackpot.

lotto did not make any promises but people are the ones that assumed it . infact lotto is still questionable to some if this is really legit or its only a way to milk people but not totally milk because its said that government based lotto are being tax or can go to the charity . i hope that was true and they dont lie when they say that  . people in any status make bets on lotto not just the poor , comparing lotto to astraunut is new to me but its not fair because anyone can be an astraunut  while winning in lotto is close to impossible.  no mathetmatician can make a combination but i agree that buying all the possible combination can increase your win chance

You are right in some parts, yes people assumed it but that is because they are introduced to it through advertisements. The comparison of chances to become an astronaut and winning the lotto has statistics to back it up. And no, not everyone can be an astronaut because there are only few countries that have a space program, unless you are born in those countries, the chances goes to zero. Not mentioning the training and the requirements to become one.

[acroman08]

Do you think that the pros of playing lottery outweigh the cons or vice versa?

if you bet in moderation? then yes. at least for me. I know several people who keep betting on lottery even though they are already in debt and barely baing able to pay the monthly bills

How far are you willing to gamble to win the coveted jackpot (If you are playing lottery)?

as long as it doesn't negatively affect me financially I will continue and will stop when it does.

Is government owned lottery a scummy way to tax the poor people?

I couldn't say that it is really a scum way to tax the people since it's still from the government and they spend it as well to health, charities and so on and I'm seeing it's for the good cause in the long run.

sure it goes to a good cause but the problem is there are corrupt government officials who are taking maybe half or more than half of that money and only so little that actually goes to that good cause.

[Lorence.xD]

Considering the amount that you can win on Lottery, of course people will play more to increase their chances of winning, unfortunately those people don’t know how to know the probability to win on lotto and this is also why the government is making them fool literally, and taking advantage against them to collect more money. Though I support their Charity works but hopefully, bettors will not literally depend on this because hard works always pays off.

Probability does not apply when you are desperate to find a shortcut to a life that is advertised to you by these lottery outlets. When it comes to charity though, I am skeptic about it because people in power have the tendency to be corrupt and plunder this lottery earnings that was supposed to help the people in need. I find these lottery using the earnings for charity to help the poor that is funding these charity by buying lottery tickets to be a bullshit perpetual system with only the administration benefitting from it no matter.

But a lot of people have requested to put it back because they think it is the only chance to raise themselves from poverty. nowadays, you can a lot of people fall in line just to get their hand to buy one ticket that might lead them to escape poverty but in most cases, that's become one of the reasons to stay in poverty because of such mindsets.

I think that there is a term for that kind of mindset, if I am not mistaken it is Gambler's fallacy wherein the belief that continuous bet on something even if you are losing will lead you to win someday, no statistics but just the belief that eventually you will hit the jackpot. I do not blame them for their decision though, this mindset was not innate. If people were taught at the early age financial literacy then that kind of mindset of luck reliance will not manifest in their adult life.

i am a Lottery fan mate and i still Bet in lottery at least one or twice a week not because i am Poor but because this is the gambling i learned from my parents and even my grandies .
and i don't feel that way mate,i trust the government and give them a chance to seek taxes for the people.

Shouldn't you stop that tradition of buying lottery and put the money on things that is more essential or could return an interest, the money you spent on lottery could add up to buying an investment that will help in the long run. You might regret all that money you have spent on lottery in the long run, I am just reminding you and you are free not to do my advice. Good for you that you trust your government which means that they are doing their job and they are not screwing the people in your country.

People are not mandated to bet on lotteries and that is enough I think to tell that it is not an abuse of the government. They tend to bet not because they are required but because it is their own likeness hoping to get a "better" life out of luck. Since they are having a tough time to get rich on their jobs, they are still gambling their luck to the other way of having huge mount of money. We cannot blame them from doing so, since in the first place they are not required to bet on lotteries. But it is true, winning is a punch to the moon and little do they know that as their trials are getting bigger, same thing happens with their losses.

Yes they are not technically abusing the people but they benefit from the perpetual cycle of poor people funding their lottery charity for the poor people. They do use psychological techniques when they advertise lottery which is in a way an abuse. I think people relying on luck makes them poor even though they have jobs, yes their jobs will not make them rich but if they do not manage their finances and find other ways to generate cashflow then nothing will happen.