The Lottery

I was taking Weaver for a walk this afternoon, and I stopped by the local service station to pick up a snack for the afternoon. A young woman in front of me was purchasing a variety of Wisconsin lottery tickets. She wasn't necessarily spending a lot of money, but it caused me to wonder. I have no idea what her financial situation is. I don't know for sure how purchasing these tickets cuts into her budget.

As I have mentioned on my blog before, the United Methodist Church takes a strong stance on gambling. As clergy, I am not supposed to participate in any form of gambling. I wouldn't anyway. But, for other folks, I worry about the allure of the lottery. Sure, there is a chance of winning something, but is it worth the cost of paying for games and tickets until you win?

I was looking at the Wisconsin Lottery's website, and it provides a breakdown of where the money goes that people pay for lottery games. Thirty one percent goes to property tax relief, and the rest goes to prizes and operational costs. I do appreciate that there is some benefit for our lottery system. I only wish we could help people to find better things to do with their money then risking it for the hope of winning in some game of chance...