I read an article recently (sorry no link) that showed how much of a percentage from the lottery truely goes into the schools, and what goes elsewhere. Only three states (among them my home state of WV thankfully) actually use the money in the school system. In a handful, over 80% went into the pockets of the people running it. Most used it legitimately, but not on the schools as was the idea.

 

I use to work in a Deli and scratch-offs are one of the biggest state run scams going, the odds to win are so against you but people are addicted to them and that's what the state banks on to fill their coffers.

 

this is the problem texas had. They started the lottery to help the schools. Before you knew it most wasn't going to schools.

 

I wholeheartedly believe that, there is always one store that has the big winners, and TONS of them, when I worked in that deli we would occasionally would sell a $100 winning scratch off while this one store - a Krauzers - would get $5,000, $10,000, $50,000 winners....consistently.

 

They learned that by making it harder to win it tends to rollover and drivethe pots higher which generates more revenue.

i generally refuse to playout of principle. Think about this:

they take 50% off the top and then after you win they take close to 50% more. For every dollar played they take 75cents of it.

 

What boggles me is the fact the State makes $$$ on the front, all of the losers, and back end in the form of a 40% or tax on large winnings.

 

What really gets my goat is when im waiting in line go pay for my morning coffee and some dingleberry is holdi g me fro going to work to earn some money because he is holding everyone up sl he can donate his money to the state in the form of scratch offs.

 

If the revenue is spent properly, this is all wonderful. The lottery is essentially people volunteering to be taxed, and just about every state needs all the revenue that they can get. The issue, as stated, is corruption of course. And since its rigged by those in power, its hard to change it.

 

These are as big of a scam as mortgages.

 

Disagree, for my pov that is merely coddling the State for dirty dealing.

Put it this way, can the losers on the scratch offs use them as tax write offs?


Prolly not

Yet the minute winners are heavily taxed

 

How in the world could anyone ever buy a house without a mortgage?

 

Actually in NJ you can I believe on the winnings, people use to take old tickets that were tossed out so they could write them off on their winning tickets.

EDIT: http://taxation.lawyers.com/income-tax/tax-deduction-for-gambling-or-wagering-losses.html

 

Exactly.

 

OK, so whats the alternative? I guess I'm a little lost.

 

Should be a general write off due to the "it's for daz chldrnz"

 

make housing affordable.............

 

Which is why I say, eliminate all income taxes under 100,000 and just create a bunch of Federal lotteries.

 

Not buying a house that will financially limit oneself. That's why its such a good racket. You are essentially forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars to banks if you want to own a home, while the government promotes it.

 

First executive order, Legalize all Drugs and throw a National Rave!