Lotteries: Condemn

Lotteries have been called a tax on the poor. Ultimately at only a dollar or two a ticket, anyone can play the lotteries. However, many people become addicted to buying tickets and they can cause family/marital problems. Discuss this topic with a parent and get their view on lotteries and specifically lotteries in Singapore. Include at least one quote from an adult, one quote or reference from either an NPR presentation or YouTube video in your discussion. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words in length and you must either support lotteries or condemn them.

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My Father's view on lotteries: I feel that lotteries are OK, as long as one does not become addicted and overspend on them. To me, they are just a harmless (albeit expensive) form of "entertainment", as I rarely bet on lotteries, and even when I do, it's never more than 10 dollars. I believe people buy lotteries in order to get that feeling of satisfaction when you strike something, even if it's not the first prize. However, there are some people I've encountered whose lives have been severely affected by the lottery. They believe in superstitions, and spend huge amounts of money on betting, and when they do not succeed, that only spurs them on to spend even more money on it.

For my part, I largely agree with what my father has said. However, I have a few points to add on which he had overlooked. For one, even if you do strike it rich and become a billionaire overnight, that does not mean that you get the knowledge of a billionaire. Allow me to elaborate. A person who suddenly becomes rich will not know how to use his money wisely. He might think that a billion is more than it actually is, and start spending extravagantly. Before you know it, he is knee deep in debt and soon loses his wealth. For this reson, I propose that the government conduct checks into the background of people who win the 1st prize. If they are overnight billionaires, the governemnt should cinduct classes on how to spend money wisely, for example, to use the cash to set up a business that will generate a steady, dependable income.

These are mine (and my father's) thoughts on gambling. Thank you for reading.