Lottery Tickets

I used to run a lotto machine, so I just see it as a waste of and bad stewardship of money. If you want entertainment I would spend the first dollar on a word-search or other game magazine and give the other dollar to your local God's kitchen.

That's just my 2 cents though.

 

Most states have the following taxes:

Income Tax
Property Tax
Sales Tax
Use Tax
Luxury Tax
Death Tax
Dog Tax
and a whole host of other taxes that you don't know about until you have to pay them.

When operated by the state a Lottery is a Stupid Tax. So if you want to pay the Stupid Tax go right ahead.

And if you win I'll try to come up with 100 million ways to tell you I'm envious.

Remember you can't win without a ticket.

And does Prov. 16:33 apply here?

 

If you really only bought the tickets for entertainment purposes, and the money spent was really "extra" money--money not needed for necessities or earmarked for some other good purpose--then I'm certainly not going to say it was wrong.

I personally don't buy lottery tickets because I don't get much entertainment from losing money. But hey, we're all different and we all enjoy different things.

[ December 14, 2002, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: russell55 ]

 

Stupid Tax....now there is a good name for it!

Like I said b/f, I worked a lotto counter so I knew basically when one of the instants was due for a winner (since they say right on them 1 in 2 or 3 or 4 is a winner. So when it was a 1 in 3 is a winner and the last 5 had not been winners, I would usually try to snatch that one up and by it myself.

Even using this method, I ended up breaking even in the end. Which is VERY rare to even do that. I'm sorry that I bought them in the first place looking back.

What was really sad was that the people who could afford them the least are always the ones buying them. Rich people are rich for a reason

 

I pose you a few questions:

1. What is what you are doing called?
2. Is it really spending money wisely?
3. Is there something better that you could have done with your money?

~Teresa~

 

Back in '00 i prayed to the Lord every day:
Lord, please let me win the lottery.
Every day, the same:
Lord, please let me win the lottery.
One day about nine months after i'd started
a large booming voice came from
above as i prayed

MEET ME HALFWAY -- BUY A TICKET!!!!

[ December 14, 2002, 04:26 PM: Message edited by: Ed Edwards ]

 

My local Baptist church organized a community rummage sale recently. At the sale, the church sold raffle and 50/50 tickets as a fundraiser. Lots of people participated from both the congregation and the general public, and not one person complained about the "gambling" aspect of it. When they asked me if I wanted any tickets, I made a joke about gambling, and then bought 20 50/50 tickets. I did not win, and someone else won 50% of the money I (and everyone else) kicked in.

 

Gambling is still a tax on people who are slow at math!! How many dollars worth is it gonna take for you to figure out--you ain't gonna win--and that the state of Florida is "milkin'" you for all your worth and they don't give a flip if you loose and the governor ain't gonna have you over his house, and nobody is gonna give a rip if you happen to "get close" to choosin' the winnin' ticket--cause there ain't no way you can win---its rigged for the state to win!! They gonna get your dollar tonight--and you know what?? Those dollars you loose--they add up, don't they?? Makes you look silly!!

Your friend,
Blackbird

 

Dear ABG,

Yes, it was definitely the wrong thing to do so
send me the tickets and I'll take care of them for you.

HankD

 

Ohhhhhh , HankD, you're soooo bad. BTW, if he actually does, split it with me.

 

ABG - To my way of thinking gambling is coveting and wrong for a Christian to do. You must think it's wrong or you wouldn't have your doubts (?).

[ December 14, 2002, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: JIMNSC ]

 

As I see it, when you accept money from gambling winnings, there is a strong chance that the money came from a less fortunate family than yourselves. They lost their money, possibly as a result of addiction, so that you could gain it.

There are no shortage of families that have broken up, or families living in poverty that are a direct result of gambling addiction. The question in my mind would be, is it o.k to take this money from these families?

 

Adoptedbygod. May I re-phrase your question? Is it ok to gamble? I am sure most people to-day would say it's fine,you're not hurting anybody,what harm can it do?go for it.I have been gambling for years and it has never done me any harm,and this may be true.But they dont always win,and this is where you could get into trouble.
Ask yourself this question is life as a Christian a gamble? receiving a reward when you have not earned it? All this money,would it change my life for the better? The very fact that you have raised this question,proves that it is a problem. If this question was raised 60 years ago the attitude of people would be quite different. I can hear some people yelling at me .Where in the bible does it say you cannot gamble? come on, show me.For me It's not in the spirit of The Word.
Yes I have been guilty.
John

 

Let's see...

1) People participate in a lottery by their free will choice as opposed to forced taxation. No one is forcing poorer families to participate in funding government in this voluntary way. Chalk one up for freedom of choice in funding government.

2) I plan to go see the Star Trek: Nemesis movie and that will cost me more than two lottery tickets. Some people would say I should feel guilty over doing that. I won't.

3) I spend lots of money on dog training classes, dog food, vaccinations, etc. Some people(non-pet lovers) might say I should feel guilty over that. I don't and won't.

4) Yes, the state is the big winner in a lottery. It is supposed to be. It is a voluntary way of funding government services.

5) I wish most of government funding was voluntary instead of by the threat of government force if you don't comply. Other than keeping the peace, the justice system, and such like, I don't think government should forcefully take money from one person to give to another person. If people want to help fund such social services voluntarily with at least the reward of very small odds of winning something back, then as long as it is done by their free will choice, I'm not going to slam them for it.

[ December 14, 2002, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: Ken H ]

 

I ran the lottery ticket machine in a VA grocery store for about a year. I think the lottery is a terrible thing. The people who played the most (daily and lots of money each day) were also there buying beer and cigarettes. For them, the lottery was just another addiction, courtesy of the state of Virginia. In the old days, financial success came by hard work,thriftyness, saving and wise investment. Now the state through the lottery, which for the most part is played and payed by those least able to afford it, is teaching people that the way to financial success is through luck and "get-rich-quick". The more people who buy into this, the poorer we will be as a nation.

 

I view gambling as a violation of my views on the providence of God, and therefore, do not buy lottery tickets.

My wife buys them. That is ok,,,,she is Anglican.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Welll, if you want to give away money you could send it to me. Do more good for you then gambling does.

 

Went to a Microsoft Big Day event two years running and won the drawing for software both times.

1st time - Microsoft FrontPage
2nd time - Microsoft Windows 2000 Operating System

Should I have tithed on those winnings?