Gambling. I’ve been known to play the ponies, roll the bones and I know how to bet the flop, turn and river. I don’t go out of my way to gamble but if it is there, I’ll enjoy it. I am up quite a bit on the craps table and my wife just above even on roulette. Our last trip to Las Vegas (we went for a horse show – didn’t go there with gambling as the ultimate goal) we came home with $4 less cash than we took. Not gambling cash, all cash.
To me, those expenditures or winnings are entertainment and spent/won on entertainment dollars, not food, shelter, clothing, retirement or offering to church. I’m fortunate enough to have disposable entertainment income.
Lottery, a tax on people who are bad at math, is apparently a little different. I’ve purchased probably less than $20 on scratch-off or lottery in the past 20 years. A recent news release from the Texas Lottery shows the biggest downside – people who can’t afford it spend it. Could I use the money elsewhere? Sure. My entertainment budget is small. I have too many hobbies that take up my time and money to have a large entertainment fund.
The news release shows that the $50 scratch off ticket sells most in the state’s poorest neighborhoods. I’ve also been to casinos where it’s evident people just cashed their paychecks and went to the casino to strike it rich this time. The casinos in Vegas are huge, extravagant and get rebuilt every few years. How do you think they pay for those? They call it gambling but all odds are for the house. They exist to make money.
The article highlights the fact that the 10 poorest neighborhoods spent $2.4 million on the high-dollar scratch off as compared to only half that of the 10 riches neighborhoods in Texas. Per capita spending on the high-dollar tickets was $25 in the 10 poorest ZIP codes versus $18 in the 10 wealthiest.
Every time brining gaming to Texas comes to the state legislature, I fight against it. Yeah, it’s kinda hypocritical because I’d probably go to a casino if it were here but I do think it is bad for society and hurts those that cannot afford it.
6 comments
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June 20, 2007 at 7:25 am
totaltransformation
I agree with about everything you said.
June 20, 2007 at 6:39 pm
John
i’m sorry, your post doesn’t make sense to me. so you gamble sometimes and admit you would go to a casino if there was one in Texas, but you’re against gambling because it’s a social ill?
isn’t this like being against sweatshops but buying shirts that were made in them?
by gambling, according to your post you are supporting an institution that causes harm in society.
if you gamble, be OK with gambling. if you’re against gambling, don’t gamble. it’s your choice, but i think you have to pick one line or the other to be logical.
June 22, 2007 at 8:32 pm
totaltransformation
I disagree John. One can be aware that something is entirely bad for most people, but still choose to engage in the activity themselves. Let us say I enjoy smoking cigars one or twice a month, does that mean that I can’t condemn smoking as harmful?
Then again I don’t oppose legalized gambling. That is why I said “about everything.”
June 24, 2007 at 8:10 pm
rand
I don’t really see it as a contradiction but it does cause me concern that something that I occasionally enjoy does get misused and can be a public harm.
While I’m being honest, I could say the same thing about wine. I enjoy a glass of wine from time to time but certainly see the negative impact too much alcohol has on people who abuse it and their families and society as a whole.
In my opinion, most things in moderation are ok. By most things I’m excluding any and all illegal activity and many things I’d consider immoral (too long a list to put here). Donuts – in moderation are good. Five donuts a day, that could cause serious health problems.
Thanks for the posts
June 24, 2007 at 10:44 pm
John
hey, back off the donuts.
July 13, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Kullervo
End poverty forever.