[Megamel29]

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...north-carolina

Does the lottery prey on poor people? North Carolina lawmakers say it does and are proposing some reforms.

One proposal is a ban on knowingly selling lottery tickets to people receiving welfare, food stamps, or other public assistance. "We're giving them welfare to help them live, and yet by selling them a ticket, we're taking away their money that is there to provide them the barest of necessities," Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam told the Raleigh News Observer. He said he believes that the lottery attracts many poor people who don't understand the odds.

He added that lottery advertisements boast of massive payouts, but fail to mention that the actual prizes are much smaller after taxes. "What they're talking about is making it a more honest lottery," he told the Observer.

But the proposal isn't sitting well with many people. A major complaint is that the law would place the burden on store vendors to try to figure out whether or not their customers are on welfare. "I don't feel comfortable for somebody ask why or your financial things, so it's not my business," a store clerk told ABC11.

Another proposal would ban the word "education" from the NC Education Lottery to make its advertising more truthful, the Associated Press reported.

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How do clerks ascertain whether or not their customer is on welfare without offending customers? Also, this seems more like a way of telling welfare recipients how to use their money than a way to protect them.

[NeckKnifeWarrior]

im in NC... the RTP area.. I always see poor folks buying like 20 tickets at a time :/ I think they should regulate it.

[Megamel29]

Originally Posted by NeckKnifeWarrior ↗

im in NC... the RTP area.. I always see poor folks buying like 20 tickets at a time :/ I think they should regulate it.

But when does it stop? Who will they ban from the lotto next?

[MrCorpse]

I don't think you can ban people from playing lotto, that's fucking stupid... Also, it's stupid you get taxed so highly on winnings... In Australia you don't pay tax on lotto at all! I've also won a lot of money playing poker and didn't have to pay any tax as it is considered my hobby and not my primary source of income!

[AmericanIllusions]

LOTTO is a scam and it does pray on the poor. We know this because of the HUGE ratio of stations in poor areas compared to those outside the city. The same thing can be said for abortion clinics. Personally I think welfare should be done away with gradually until its a memory, but it won't because its a tool the govt uses to trigger crime and polarize opposing parties in politics.


Now lets about corporate welfare, our real problem.

[dcaccount22]

stop them from going to the casino too. Make it so that they dont get any big payouts if they win them if they are found to be on welfare. When I go to the casino most of the people in there are welfare sows.

[Seven Of Nine]

"Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam told the Raleigh News Observer. He said he believes that the lottery attracts many poor people who don't understand the odds."
I'd hasten to say a majority of people, poor or rich, don't understand the odds. I don't care that he said it, it just seems unqualified by comparison to another socioeconomic group.

[GoreisGreat]

The lottery is a tax on stupid people.

[Faline]

People would just get others to buy them lotto tickets. Morons.

[Sharon]

I see their point but it won't stop people on welfare gambling.