I hate when they have the cashier check the numbers on the ticket. Come on man, it doesn't matter if it's the first ticket on the roll or the 150th. It's fucking randomized.
Whether or not they're a [tax on dumb people](https://old.reddit.com/r/massachusetts/comments/1d37ao9/50_years_ago_ma_invented_the_first_ever_scratch/l65ldsz/) (FWIW I'd say they are)... they've repeatedly been shown to be a [regressive tax](https://www.governing.com/finance/lotteries-are-a-regressive-tax-why-do-progressive-governors-support-them), i.e. they place a [heavier tax burden on the poor than on the wealthy](https://taxfoundation.org/blog/are-lottery-taxes-regressive-and-what-does-regressive-mean-anyway/).
Is it really a tax though? It’s more like the government running a side business. I’d like to see the government doing a lot more of that, to be honest. Give me a public option for housing and healthcare next!
Also, this is why we say “correlation != causation.” Do they play the lottery because they’re poor or because they’re stupid? Are they poor because they’re stupid, or stupid because they’re poor? Why not all of the above?
Lottery per capita Massachusetts #1 almost double the next closest state. https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/lottery-statistics/
Motley Fool's stats are from US Census Bureau 2023 so should be reasonably trustworthy.
>State lotteries were cropping up around the country in 1964 after the first was established in New Hampshire. As Vietnam War spending increased, so did inflation and budgetary shortalls...Voters wanted all the public services they had gotten used to but also didn’t want higher taxes
State needed more money, but it was politically unpalatable to raise taxes, so they decided to tax dumb people through the lottery. Dumb people don't deserve to be robbed by the state.
Dummies were getting robbed by the neighborhood wise guy before the State created their own numbers racket to compete.
A fool and his money is soon parted. Can’t be helped.
Back when I drove limos I took someone to Braintree to do the tax paperwork and all the formal stuff for a $50K a year a life ticket.Guy never tipped me actually LOL
And their monopoly prohibits other good ideas because it makes them illegal. Prize-linked saving accounts are amazing for a population, but are illegal because only the state can run the lotto ...
I have no sympathy for smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts. They did it to themselves willingly.
People afflicted with cancer or diabetes would love to be cured by simply changing their behavior.
Oh, well if they're only exploiting a small percentage of the population who cares?
There is no reason for the government to be in the gambling business.
I mean the people who play daily/weekly are definitely dumb.
I don't think there's anything wrong with once in a while if you can afford to lose the money.
A few times a year if I get back a couple dollars in change I'll tell them to just give me a random $2 one for the fun of it.
When I worked at a gas station I would buy one occasionally (usually $2, never more than $5) because they were right there staring me in the face, and I started getting a weird sixth sense as to which ones were winners. I would say out of the maybe 50 I bought over several years, at least 30 were winners, and one of them was for $1000! I've therefore won far more money than I've ever spent on it and have successfully beaten the system.
Taxing poor dumb people is inefficient since a lot of the money just gets returned to them as government benefits. We need a lottery where the buy in is like $10,000 so we can specifically tax rich dumb people.
And the lines at gas stations have never been the same.
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I hate when they have the cashier check the numbers on the ticket. Come on man, it doesn't matter if it's the first ticket on the roll or the 150th. It's fucking randomized.
Those are the people that have special coins they use and are superstitious
You know, morons.
I used to work at a corner store .... ticket number 000 is usually a winner that $50 ticket is a guaranteed $100 winner every 4-5 in the book
😂
Whether or not they're a [tax on dumb people](https://old.reddit.com/r/massachusetts/comments/1d37ao9/50_years_ago_ma_invented_the_first_ever_scratch/l65ldsz/) (FWIW I'd say they are)... they've repeatedly been shown to be a [regressive tax](https://www.governing.com/finance/lotteries-are-a-regressive-tax-why-do-progressive-governors-support-them), i.e. they place a [heavier tax burden on the poor than on the wealthy](https://taxfoundation.org/blog/are-lottery-taxes-regressive-and-what-does-regressive-mean-anyway/).
Is it really a tax though? It’s more like the government running a side business. I’d like to see the government doing a lot more of that, to be honest. Give me a public option for housing and healthcare next! Also, this is why we say “correlation != causation.” Do they play the lottery because they’re poor or because they’re stupid? Are they poor because they’re stupid, or stupid because they’re poor? Why not all of the above?
Lottery per capita Massachusetts #1 almost double the next closest state. https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/lottery-statistics/ Motley Fool's stats are from US Census Bureau 2023 so should be reasonably trustworthy.
"Most educated state"
First state to tax stupidity
That’s why it’s so smaht, kid.
>State lotteries were cropping up around the country in 1964 after the first was established in New Hampshire. As Vietnam War spending increased, so did inflation and budgetary shortalls...Voters wanted all the public services they had gotten used to but also didn’t want higher taxes State needed more money, but it was politically unpalatable to raise taxes, so they decided to tax dumb people through the lottery. Dumb people don't deserve to be robbed by the state.
Puerto Rico beat the continental US States to the punch in the 30's ,then New Hampshire came along in 64
Correction. A tax on poor and dumb people. I wonder how many Kennedys ever bought a scratch ticket.
Considering their luck throughout the years probably not much.
Dummies were getting robbed by the neighborhood wise guy before the State created their own numbers racket to compete. A fool and his money is soon parted. Can’t be helped.
“Suckers”
The vets or the lottery players?
The players
This shouldnt be seen as a good thing
Back when I drove limos I took someone to Braintree to do the tax paperwork and all the formal stuff for a $50K a year a life ticket.Guy never tipped me actually LOL
The hell with those things. And they have the nerve to count “free tickets” as prize money. I didnt actually win, I just didn’t lose
The lottery is voluntary taxation. I'll pass.
I'll bet ya 50 bucks I can quite gamblin' 😁
Then Mittens cut the payout thanks republicans
What do you mean by Mittens
Mitt Romney
I should have got that LOL makes sense
Crazy how the government controls all these lotteries. Basically just another tax.
And their monopoly prohibits other good ideas because it makes them illegal. Prize-linked saving accounts are amazing for a population, but are illegal because only the state can run the lotto ...
Taxing stupidity was a brilliant move.
It’s taxing desperation, not stupidity
"All you need is a dollar and a dream" - NY state lottery slogan
Nah. It’s not desperation when they buy lottery tickets along with cigarettes and beer.
Wow you got me, you just totally described someone completely not in a desperate situation 🙄
If your that desperate, then you can’t afford $11 for a pack of smokes and $20 in scratchers
Desperate ≠ Destitute 🤦♂️
I have no sympathy for smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts. They did it to themselves willingly. People afflicted with cancer or diabetes would love to be cured by simply changing their behavior.
You seem miserable. Hope that’s not permanent.
Something to be proud of. Maybe?
Absolutely not. The state preying on people with gambling issues (usually the people who can least afford it) is super gross.
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Oh, well if they're only exploiting a small percentage of the population who cares? There is no reason for the government to be in the gambling business.
MAybe
A tax on dumb people, I love it!
I mean the people who play daily/weekly are definitely dumb. I don't think there's anything wrong with once in a while if you can afford to lose the money. A few times a year if I get back a couple dollars in change I'll tell them to just give me a random $2 one for the fun of it.
When I worked at a gas station I would buy one occasionally (usually $2, never more than $5) because they were right there staring me in the face, and I started getting a weird sixth sense as to which ones were winners. I would say out of the maybe 50 I bought over several years, at least 30 were winners, and one of them was for $1000! I've therefore won far more money than I've ever spent on it and have successfully beaten the system.
I agree, I play maybe 2x a year. Would it be nice to win? Sure. But am I gonna be naive and not realize success takes hardwork? Of course not.
Taxing poor dumb people is inefficient since a lot of the money just gets returned to them as government benefits. We need a lottery where the buy in is like $10,000 so we can specifically tax rich dumb people.
This timeline matches way too much with family members who love to get scratch tickets for their birthday.
I remember Yankee Doodle Dandy $1 tickets. Not sure if they were first or if they were for the bicentennial
Leave it to one of the most corrupt states to come up with this
Lol