Last Week Tonight, Lottery

[tinselwolverine]

This is a pretty fun thread; this is way more fun than that Putin Schtuppin I started, I wish I had started this one instead.

Although Putin Schtuppin - or Schtupin Putin - would be a good name for a porn flick.

Which would also primarily be consumed by poor people who couldn't afford it, and they would pay exorbitant taxes which would go to fund an educational bridge to nowhere.

 

[Spartanmack]

What's the justification for the government doing this? You just defend it because you're pro-Big Government and you like to see the government getting into everyone's business.

Ooh, that's a burn...

it would be a great burn if I was defending the lottery. but like I said above, I'm not in favor of the lottery or all these casinos that cities that are green-lighting around the country thinking they will attract tourism $ when all they are doing is diverting money that locals would spend at the ball game, movies, rent, groceries, medicine, etc.

 

[tinselwolverine]

it would be a great burn if I was defending the lottery. but like I said above, I'm not in favor of the lottery or all these cities that are building casinos thinking they will attract tourism $ when all they are doing is diverting money that locals would spend at the ball game, movies, rent, groceries, etc.

I don't play the lottery; I wouldn't mind a sports book that I could walk down the street to though.

In the recent elections, Californians rejected a ballot initiative that would have allowed California tribes to expand tribal gaming in urban areas to a substantial degree.

 

[Gulo Blue]

it would be a great burn if I was defending the lottery. but like I said above, I'm not in favor of the lottery or all these casinos that cities that are green-lighting around the country thinking they will attract tourism $ when all they are doing is diverting money that locals would spend at the ball game, movies, rent, groceries, medicine, etc.

Yeah, it wasn't fair, but you have to admit, generally, people that don't like big government intervention are pretty liberal with what they call a tax.

 

[tinselwolverine]

it would be a great burn if I was defending the lottery. but like I said above, I'm not in favor of the lottery or all these casinos that cities that are green-lighting around the country thinking they will attract tourism $ when all they are doing is diverting money that locals would spend at the ball game, movies, rent, groceries, medicine, etc.

I am a little concerned though, about your apparent penchant for social engineering here; i.e.; your implied opinion that consusmer dollars spent on things like groceries, medicine and rent has some sort of a morally "higher societal value" than it would have were they to be spent on things such as gambling, prostitution and pornography.

You're reading too many of MichChamp's posts; quite obviously that fuckin' guy is starting to get into your head a little bit...

 

[Spartanmack]

I don't play the lottery; I wouldn't mind a sports book that I could walk down the street to though.

In the recent elections, Californians rejected a ballot initiative that would have allowed California tribes to expand tribal gaming in urban areas to a substantial degree.

Do the Indian casinos have sports books? It's usually a loss leader for Vegas casinos which I think is why none of the casinos in Reno have sports books. Maybe there are zoning laws and sports betting isn't legal in Reno but i would be surprised by that - pretty sure it's because they're not very profitable and therefore not worth the space in the smaller Reno venues. I know sports gambling is not legal in Jersey so none of the AC casinos have sports books - but there is a pretty big push to legalize it here.

 

[Spartanmack]

Yeah, it wasn't fair, but you have to admit, generally, people that don't like big government intervention are pretty liberal with what they call a tax.

I wasn't offended, just clarifying my position. And I agree with you but I don't like labeling it a tax because it seems to absolve people of responsibility for their own actions.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Do the Indian casinos have sports books? It's usually a loss leader for Vegas casinos which I think is why none of the casinos in Reno have sports books. Maybe there are zoning laws and sports betting isn't legal in Reno but i would be surprised by that - pretty sure it's because they're not very profitable and therefore not worth the space in the smaller Reno venues. I know sports gambling is not legal in Jersey so none of the AC casinos have sports books - but there is a pretty big push to legalize it here.

I don't believe they do.

But I wish they would, and I wish there would be one open down the street from me.

I'm not Native American, and I'm not in the California Legislature, so there's not really a whole lot I can do about it.

 

[Spartanmack]

I am a little concerned though, about your apparent penchant for social engineering here; i.e.; your implied opinion that consusmer dollars spent on things like groceries, medicine and rent has some sort of a morally "higher societal value" than it would have were they to be spent on things such as gambling, prostitution and pornography.

You're reading too many of MichChamp's posts; quite obviously that fuckin' guy is starting to get into your head a little bit...

It's not social engineering. I've just learned, probably through arguing w/ michchamp that I know better how people should spend their money and live their lives than they do. And for some reason I'm reminded of this gem...

?Part of the loot went for gambling, part for horses and part for women. The rest I spent foolishly.? - George Raft

 

[Sbee]

It's a scam because in most state lotteries are marketed by the states as generating revenue for schools when in fact lottery revenues are not incremental to education budgets. For every lottery dollar that goes to education, a General Fund dollar previously allocated to schools goes back into the General Fund and the schools are no better off. That's the scam.

I'm no more in favor of the lottery than I am in favor of all these cities that are giving out permits to build casinos and like anything else the poor buys, lottery tickets are more expensive to them but let's not pretend they're not responsible for their own losses just because they can't afford them.

ok, so you pretty much agree with me on this subject. Of course people are responsible for their own mistakes but the poor tend to be easily taken advantage of. It's disappointing when private businesses do it, even more when it's the state government.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I'm reminded of this gem...

?Part of the loot went for gambling, part for horses and part for women. The rest I spent foolishly.? - George Raft

Ha ha! Yes I've heard that before? I don't know if I would have remembered that it's a quote from Ben Siegel's good pal Georgie Raft?

 

[byco42]

I know this: I would be arrested for organizing a numbers racket.

 

[Michchamp]

there's a website that lets you click to play a simulation of the CA state lottery (I think it's that state), and, based on the odds, calculates how much you win. it's pretty crazy, you can set it to 1,000 tickets, click "buy" countless times, and always win less than you spent in the long run.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I know this: I would be arrested for organizing a numbers racket.

Maybe not.

Don King never was.

He never got arrested until he killed that one dead best who was trying to stiff him.

 

[Spartanmack]

Ha ha! Yes I've heard that before… I don't know if I would have remembered that it's a quote from Ben Siegel's good pal Georgie Raft…

A lot of folks attribute it to Tug McGraw for his variation on the quote - I did, but when I googled it to get the exact quote I learned Raft said it way before him. That guy made (and apparently spent) $10mm during the Golden Age of Hollywood - that's size-ola for the 40s/50s. He must have been a blast to party with!

 

[grandy]

Here we go



I just did a quick test, 1040 plays and I won a total of $120 dollars, an ~88% loss.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Here we go



I just did a quick test, 1040 plays and I won a total of $120 dollars, an ~88% loss.

93% loss. Man.

...hey, I just saved $1,000! I should go buy something!

 

[Michchamp]

93% loss. Man.

...hey, I just saved $1,000! I should go buy something!

go to walmart.

 

[Spartanmack]

Maybe not.

Don King never was.

He never got arrested until he killed that one dead best who was trying to stiff him.

I'm pretty sure Malcolm X got away with running numbers too.

But byco is right, the government doesn't take too kindly to any challenges to their monopolies.

 

[byco42]

Back in a prior life I was filling my tank by the DAC (our band had a show there) and a guy asked me for money. I gave him $5.00 and he walked up to the window and bought five lottery tickets. I told him he just wasted $5.00 and he just shrugged and turned away. It was bitter cold, I figured he'd a least get coffee or something to eat … maybe he won.