All it takes is a dollar and a dream; and with gas prices soaring toward $5, people are dreaming in droves.
The New York State Lottery reported a 4 percent increase this year, adding $82 million dollars to state coffers with no sign of slowing down.
Casinos and gambling getaways such as Atlantic City have struggled to keep business, as high fuel prices have kept summer travelers closer to home.
But video-lottery terminals and scratch-off tickets are readily available fun for bettors hoping to turn their luck around in a dreary economy.
I've harped on the economy plenty, mostly because I've been feeling the pinch myself.
But I am a little surprised that people are spending more than they can afford on games with relatively poor odds.
Don't get me wrong, I love scratch-off tickets and I am not oppose to buying them every once in a while. I tell myself, “If I don't win, at least I'm donating my dollar to a neighbor in need.” But an $82 million increase in revenue is a lot more than a dollar here or there.
I saw a woman leave the supermarket with an entire ream close to five feet long, all scratch-off lottery tickets. Maybe she was picking up the weekly scratch-offs for the office; maybe.
But I don't think so. I think that she was willing to gamble $20 in the hopes that she would profit, even a little.
I'm not suggesting that central New York has an increasing gambling problem. It just seems that people have reached the point where they don't have anything to lose.
What is $20 compared to a $1,500 mortgage payment? What is $20 compared to a $120 cell phone bill?
I remember when $20 would fill my gas tank, with money left over to treat myself to an overpriced soda from the gas station.
I don't see myself buying $20 worth of lotto tickets anytime soon. However; I'm not judging anyone who would. Maybe $1 is a stingy investment in a dream. Maybe $20 or even $50 is worth the gamble if the brass ring is completely out of reach.
Maybe I'll buy a lotto ticket today, win millions of dollars and buy a car that runs on water.
It's unlikely, but hey, you never know.
In the meantime, big dreams are only helping the state.
Estabrook's column appears
Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com
Casinos and gambling getaways such as Atlantic City have struggled to keep business, as high fuel prices have kept summer travelers closer to home.
But video-lottery terminals and scratch-off tickets are readily available fun for bettors hoping to turn their luck around in a dreary economy.
I've harped on the economy plenty, mostly because I've been feeling the pinch myself.
But I am a little surprised that people are spending more than they can afford on games with relatively poor odds.
Don't get me wrong, I love scratch-off tickets and I am not oppose to buying them every once in a while. I tell myself, “If I don't win, at least I'm donating my dollar to a neighbor in need.” But an $82 million increase in revenue is a lot more than a dollar here or there.
I saw a woman leave the supermarket with an entire ream close to five feet long, all scratch-off lottery tickets. Maybe she was picking up the weekly scratch-offs for the office; maybe.
But I don't think so. I think that she was willing to gamble $20 in the hopes that she would profit, even a little.
I'm not suggesting that central New York has an increasing gambling problem. It just seems that people have reached the point where they don't have anything to lose.
What is $20 compared to a $1,500 mortgage payment? What is $20 compared to a $120 cell phone bill?
I remember when $20 would fill my gas tank, with money left over to treat myself to an overpriced soda from the gas station.
I don't see myself buying $20 worth of lotto tickets anytime soon. However; I'm not judging anyone who would. Maybe $1 is a stingy investment in a dream. Maybe $20 or even $50 is worth the gamble if the brass ring is completely out of reach.
Maybe I'll buy a lotto ticket today, win millions of dollars and buy a car that runs on water.
It's unlikely, but hey, you never know.
In the meantime, big dreams are only helping the state.
Estabrook's column appears
Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com
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Post your comment - click hereThere are 6 comment(s)
CASHonly wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:50 PM:
qwerty1234 wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:54 AM:
The people that complain that you're being robbed are likely the ones putting dollar after dollar into those machines.
No one is forcing you to put your money in them. You have the choice.
You don't like it? I dare you to find a place that DOESN'T have a lottery. If you do...go there.
But since there IS a lottery and it's not going anywhere...I would prefer it benefit our children's education.
Our schools would be much worse off without the 2 billion dollars it gets from the lottery each year. "
budobrubbie wrote on Jul 17, 2008 5:13 PM:
karl wrote on Jul 17, 2008 2:28 AM:
The Lottery is nothing but a clever, manipulative way to steal more money from the poor and desperate by pedaling some false hope of riches to people who haven't the money to lose in the first place, but are taken in by the marketing.
qwerty1234's statistics don't mean squat--and he's the one with the reading comprehension problem.
Nobody was talking about HOW the lottery benefits the state or community--what we're talking about here is how lousy the odds are, and how people waste their money buying tickets which have almost NO chance of winning!
WE should also talk about how we who are waiting in queue are forced to WASTE OUR TIME WAITING for you to WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!
TAKE THE LOTTERY OUT OF GAS STATIONS AND MINI MARTS!!!! "
qwerty1234 wrote on Jul 16, 2008 8:14 AM:
Do you do any research before you write these "opinions"? Or are this simply your way of whining?
The state is going to get more money this year from lottery sales...do you have any idea where that money goes?
My guess is you saw some newspaper headline and said "Good grief!! More money for the state from lottery?!? That's outrageous!"...but didn't bother to read into the issue.
55% of the money goes to winners.
33% of the money goes to...Education.
The rest goes for commissions and operating expenses.
In 2006-2007...Cayuga County schools got 12 million dollars from the state lottery.
2 BILLION dollars goes to education each year.
So before getting on your high horse about the state taking too much of our money from that evil scratch off machine...think a little.
I've seen more informed writing on the walls of a public restroom. "
ChrisGordon wrote on Jul 15, 2008 2:53 PM: