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Comment by shit_parade | Hacker News Reader

Many States deflect criticisms of for profit lotteries by advertising that some of the proceeds go toward schools and other 'public' goods.

It is well known that lotteries pray upon the poor and uneducated, ironic really.

Instead of monopolizing gambling, or giving sweet-heart deals to those close to the government, or trying to outlaw it completely so we can see tragedies like cops shooting people over playing fantasy sports, the state should get out of the way, maybe provide counseling and treatment, and gasp let people do what they want with their property.

It's always about power, and ensuring most people don't have any.

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Humans have weaknesses that can be abused. This is clearly the case in gambling. The government must protect in some areas. For example with financial advice, there are countless cases of people giving inappropriate financial advice to the elderly, even getting them to sign away their property while dying in hospitals. Sure it easy to say 'and gasp let people do what they want with their property'. But what about this scenario? Would you be OK if that was your relatives being manipulated on their deathbed to give money to a previous stranger cause it is what they want to do with their property at that moment in their life. Or, back to gambling, is it fair on the children of the father/mother who gamble away their pay check each month leaving the family destitute?

Above is more extreme but real examples to clarify a point. In my mind saying people can do what they want with their property is overly simplistic and assumes a more perfect world than the reality.

The government is in a much better position to protect people from fraud if it isn't the one perpetrating the fraud in the first place.

>Or, back to gambling, is it fair on the children of the father/mother who gamble away their pay check each month leaving the family destitute?

However bad it might be to prey on people by trying to trick them into gambling, it's a trillion times better than just taking their money (the other way of raising revenues).

why?

Because in one case you can opt out.

Gambling addicts can't opt-out very easily, and it causes them to pay tax rates frequently higher than 100% of their incomes.

It's easier for addicts to opt out of gambling than me to opt out of taxation, and you can be treated for addiction but not taxation.

Don't know why you're being downvoted, you're right.

> and gasp let people do what they want with their property.

Are you so out of ideas on how to actually defend your positions that you have to pretend that anyone who disagrees with you is an idiotic child? Because everyone can do that, and it doesn't get us anywhere. We just go round and round being condescending to each other and nothing really gets said.

It's annoying and stupid. Let's stop this right here.

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