Q:
Should Nevada have a lottery or not? And why?
A:
Analysis
This was an interesting poll, with a definite win for the "Yeses." We had to abbreviate the answers to fit the pie chart, so here are the full answers, followed by your feedback, which was as interesting as ever. Thanks to everyone who took part, and don't forget to cast your vote in the new Reader Poll about discounts for shows and attraction, which is yielding some really great insights and ammo for us -- which hopefully will translate to new deals for you!
VOTING OPTIONS IN FULL
- Yes to the lottery. Nevada is already the nation’s gambling capital and it’s up to individuals to be responsible with their money. It should just be another form of cheap entertainment.
- Yes to the lottery. We need the additional state revenue it would generate.
- Neutral. I don’t care one way or the other. Don’t play the lottery, and don’t care if others do or not.
- No to the lottery. There’s already enough gambling here and people getting into trouble with addiction and habits they can’t afford. Why add yet another option for people to lose money they can’t afford?
- No to the lottery. It’s a horrible bet and if people want to take their chances, there are much better ways to "invest" your hard-earned money with a better gamble.
- No to the lottery. I agree that it will pose too much competition to brick-and-mortar casinos and bars, and I don’t want to see more local businesses suffering.
READER FEEDBACK
- I voted no to the lottery because it would not help anyone but the people that approved it and are running it. I came from Illinois that has a lottery. Originally it was to help schools but all it did was replace the tax money that was going to the schools and they have as many problems with their schools as we do.
- I’m from Michigan and play the lottery once in a while, and to me, there is a big difference between playing the lottery and going to the casino. So, if the people of Nevada want a lottery, they should have it, I don’t see where it’ll take any money from the casino’s, it will bring in more state revenue so maybe they could lower the some other taxes (yeah right), and it will stop the people from driving to different states just to play. It seems to me to be a win/win situation for all!
- It would just be more money for the state to play around with and not go where it was promised to go in the first place. That's been the experience in WA state. Promises, promises ...
- I'm from Florida and run a Powerball Group... when I travel out of state I continue to buy Powerball tickets in the states I'm visiting. The only time my group misses a drawing is when I'm in Las Vegas, very frustrating since it is the Nation's Gambling Capital.
- I think most of the other states that have lotteries also have casinos so I don't see why Nevadans should have to go out of state to purchase lottery tickets. I don't think the casinos will lose that much business anyway since the people who go to Nevada to gamble aren't going to be interested in buying lottery tickets that they can get at home. Since so many forms of gambling are already available in the state, I don't think it will increase the number of problem gamblers.
- Why not allow the lottery? Comparing scratch offs and Lotto-type games to mainstream Vegas gambling is like comparing a fast food burger joint to a high-end exotic restaurant – both are popular, but usually to different people or at different times. Neither is likely to steal business away from the other, and the benefit to the state coffers, be it large or small, would be a good thing for everyone. Also, if someone is likely to be drawn in to excessive gambling (oh, sorry…we call it gaming now!), I have a feeling that that ship has already sailed for Nevada residents, so lottery tickets should not increase the risk factor there.
- Not having a lottery in Nevada is worse than having a "dry" county in Texas. It just doesn't fit the image.
- Real men don't drink light beer and real gamblers don't play the lottery.
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