QuoteFlorida Lottery scratch-off ticket players would have fewer options under a measure filed Monday by state Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami. Artiles' proposal (HB 607) would require the lottery, which now offers nearly 60 different scratch-off games, to scale back that number to 20, with the most expensive single card selling for $5.
The state's scratch-off games, which range in price from $1 to $25, collectively produce the largest amount of revenue for the lottery. During the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, scratch-off tickets generated $3.7 billion in sales, up from $3.4 billion a year earlier. Overall, the lottery reached $5.58 billion in sales during the year.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/11/09/florida-representative-proposes-cap-on-lottery.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/11/09/florida-representative-proposes-cap-on-lottery.html)
Can someone explain to me why this is a good idea? I thought the purpose of the lottery in Florida was mainly to help fund education including scholarships and the construction of new schools. Cutting out the more expensive scratch-offs would seem to decrease that much needed revenue. I feel like this is a step towards cutting out the already significantly cut Bright Futures Scholarship out completely ($100 per credit hour for the medallion level 3 years ago is now $75). Honestly, they should make even more expensive scratch-off cards because everyone knows there are people that would buy them. I think every Florida student with the scholarship would agree that more money is needed. It is the only reason I can afford to attend college right now. It just doesn't make sense why they would want to cap that.
Actually, capping scratch off tickets does make sense, if you look at who plays:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/business/27lotteries.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/business/27lotteries.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0)
Just restore education funding, to before the lottery, and then allow the lottery to be able to ADD to this, NOT replacing the education funding.
Agree fully with mbwright. The lottery should be in addition to, not in replacement of normal state educational funding.
Scratch-offs are a voluntary poor tax. They tend to harm the poor and more vulnerable (elderly) members of the state. I honestly think that they ruin lives.
Hopefully a bill like the one proposed will help diminish the allure of playing these games that already fleece folks in our state.
Quote from: Gunnar on November 10, 2015, 05:53:01 AM
Actually, capping scratch off tickets does make sense, if you look at who plays:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/business/27lotteries.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/business/27lotteries.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0)
That makes a lot more sense now. I never thought of the poorer people who seem to rely on the thin hope of winning and think if they play enough times they will eventually win big. I have always thought of the lottery as something people do on occasion. For instance, when I was growing up, I remember my parents sometimes buy like $20 worth of $1 scratch-offs and see how many times they can win before they run out of that $20. It is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Also, they will sometimes buy like one or two of the $20 scratch-offs as a birthday/event gift to go in a card. I guess I never had that other perspective of the damage the lottery does until now.
At the same time though, I am not sure now is the time to put a cap on the scratch-offs until education funding starts to rise more. The money that actually makes it to education from the lottery is doing quite a bit of good. It doesn't make sense, right now at least, to potentially limit that in any way.
I know from people who sell lottery tickets and scratch-offs here in Europe that you have the group of casual players (I consider myself being one) who spend a few $ per week, but especially the poor and desperate see this as their only chance of striking it rich, so they end up spending a large part of their disposable income on the lottery, so I agree with calling it a poor tax.