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"In January 2011, the Culosi family accepted a $2 million settlement offer from Fairfax County. That same year, Virginia’s government spent $20 million promotin
by mathattack 13y ago
"In January 2011, the Culosi family accepted a $2 million settlement offer from Fairfax County. That same year, Virginia’s government spent $20 million promoting the state lottery."
Lotteries like this are a tax on people bad at math. How is this morally superior to an office pool?
Though I do think viewing this as a "hit" enters the realm of tinfoil hats,
- cheald 13y agoThere's no question of "morality" here. The government just wants the monopoly on gambling.
- mathattack 13y agoIsn't a government monopoly on anything a morality question? (Of freedom?) Or just economic efficiency?
- throwit1979 13y agoLotteries like this are a tax on people bad at math Most of the time, yes. Some lottery games with fixed odds and variable payouts have rare moments when the expected value of a ticket turns positive. I'm fairly good at math and I always play powerball every one or two years when this is the case.
- gohrt 13y agoPowerball shares winnings, right? So you better hope the play-rate is levelling off, and not increasing exponentially until jackpot.