4 ms·
I've always assumed things like this are rigged by default from the start. Even on the hyper-local level, stuff like raffles to raise funds for the volunteer
by MichaelCollins 4y ago
I've always assumed things like this are rigged by default from the start. Even on the hyper-local level, stuff like raffles to raise funds for the volunteer fire department. Friends or family of the organizers seem to always win.
- fshbbdssbbgdd 4y agoFriends and family of the organizer probably buy a lot of tickets, too.
- hackernewds 4y agoDisproportionately so?
- fshbbdssbbgdd 4y agoI can’t speak for anyone else, but a personal appeal from a family or friend is about the only thing that would get me to enter one of those.
- thombat 4y agoThe families of Girl Guides generally end up buying a lot of Girl Guide cookies.
- spoonjim 4y agoWho else would? I've never bought a raffle ticket. The friends and families of the beneficiaries are probably the only people even entering the raffle in the first place.
- bombcar 4y agoYes. The way it works is they get donated prizes, print 20k tickets, give out 10k to friends and family to sell, who sell about half and buy the rest themselves, and then someone rolls up with a donation to cover the rest of the cost and they give them a giant ball of leftover tickets.
- pessimizer 4y agoI think that's why lotteries are generally either illegal or run by the state. The temptation to rig them is just too high. I'm pretty sure raffles are usually illegal, but ignored by law enforcement, like office sports pools.
- joezydeco 4y agoIn my town you need a permit to run a raffle, even for a school PTA event. But it's never audited or anything.
- Cthulhu_ 4y agoThere's only a handful of licenses given out to lotteries over here, and they have to donate a big percentage of their revenue to charity. Which is probably fine by them, I'm sure there's a lot of shady business and tax write-offs happening there. But either way, things are more regulated over here (Netherlands). They decriminalized online gambling recently though; the big companies swooped in and started massive ad campaigns, which they're now trying to get in check. Even if these things are all above board, gambling, lotteries and sweepstakes are massive money makers.
- h2odragon 4y agoI helped run conventions for the construction industry; we had a couple of shows where we had a raffle with prizes including a fancy pickup truck. It was amazing: the biggest prizes were always won by people who were directly related to members of the Board of Directors of the organization. One of the big money makers for that org was "affinity group" insurance; they partnered up with a big insurance company to offer the members discounted, custom branded insurance and bonding (which was almost always required for the projects the members were bidding on, big business expense for them). Shockingly, that program ran OK for a couple years until one of the Board member's companies blew a job and somehow wiped out the entire insurance fund. As far as I ever figured it out, his company subcontracted with itself, defaulted and claimed a massive "performance bond" payment.
- DontchaKnowit 4y agoIdk man I won a rifle at a local firehouse raffle. I mean my friend worked there, but also, I can imagine the only people entering the raffle are family and friends of people working there lol
- tartoran 4y agoThat’s at a different level, with prizes in the 2-3 digits it’s not enough to attract the con artists and their schemes.