Gambling: The Lottery
Lotteries have been part of American civilization since 1612, when the English initiated a lottery—in the form of an authorized drawing—to help fund the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. The term "lottery" is defined as a drawing of lots in which prizes are distributed to the winners among persons buying a chance. Assuming various forms, today lotteries have been legalized across the nation in 40 states (plus the District of Columbia) and net about $42.4 billion in lottery ticket sales annually. Of the 10 remaining states that have rejected lottery proposals thus far, many are pressured to include lottery initiatives on ballots.States have effectively sold the lottery to America, and citizens have swallowed it hook, line and sinker. But scratch beneath the surface of the help-your-state veneer of the lottery and you’ll find that neither you nor your state is a winner. There are a number of legitimate questions you need to ask before you buy another lottery ticket or vote to allow lottery legalization and/or expansion in your community. Where does the money really go? Who buys the most tickets? Is the lottery harmless? Who really benefits from lottery revenues? The lottery helps fund education and benefits our kids, right?
Knowledge and understanding precede wisdom. Invest in your family's future by learning more about the troubling impact of lotteries. Serve your state and community well by learning the truth. Below are some helpful resources that will increase your odds of making a winning choice.
Features
New Lottery Research Adds To A Growing List Of Concerns
Alicia Hansen, staff writer at the Tax Foundation, released a background paper analyzing states' reliance on lottery revenues. When tested against the criteria for sound tax policy, lotteries fail.
A History Of The Lottery
A summary of lottery history from ancient times to modern-day video lotteries.
Gambling Availability and Addiction
Gambling promoters frequently maintain that there is little, if any, relationship between the availability of gambling and gambling addiction. However, testimony from experts and data from gambling communities indicate otherwise.
Lotteries in the United States: An Overview
Lotteries cost more than states bargain for and fall short of promises made.
NGISC Report (Summary, Part 1)
The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) Final Report, issued on June 18, 1999, provided the first comprehensive assessment of gambling's effects on the United States in 23 years. The NGISC raised a plethora of concerns about the negative impacts of gambling that have arisen in the more than two decades since the first federal gambling commission completed its work.
NGISC Report Part 3 - Indian Gambling
PART THREE: Indian gambling on reservations and main street/Also: where the money comes from. The Commission heard extensive testimony from Native Americans about the revenues received from casino gambling on tribal lands.
NGISC Report, Part 2
The costs of pathological gambling extend beyond the individual victim and his or her family, often including employers, business associates, neighbors, relatives, social service providers and others. The Commission attached an estimated financial price tag to a handful of the costs incurred by pathological gamblers.
NGISC Report, Part 4
The Commission unanimously endorsed a ban on Internet gambling. Much of its rationale for so doing is listed in Part Four of the NGISC Report. Concerns over gambling's threats to the integrity of sporting contests also led the Commission to recommend a ban on all gambling on amateur and collegiate athletic events.
