Hot-button issue for our state

hmmm if your profile is correct you live in Ohio? I'm in Ohio and have not heard of any lottery issue on the ballot. I know we have the issue with casino gambling. That I plan on voting against because the proposed law was written to allow the casinos to have zero taxes.

state lotteries are okay for people who want to participate in them, I don't because I don't buy into all the hype. I have very little money to play with and I don't want to waste it on lotteries but I think it is a personal choice.

I am against pro state lotteries because you encourage people to bet money especially when there is a huge sum to be won. You will find people who do not have a sense of priority and sacrifice essential items such as food in order to buy lottery tickets.

I am definitely against because my husband plays it too much, taking money out of our pocket for things we need and because he works for the school system, he already told me that the money that the school are suppose to get from this, is not as much as they lead you to believe..

I'm from a state that has had a state lottery for quite some time, and derives considerable income from it. A large chunk of that income is distributed to communities for community development black grants. My city has used those CDBGs for developing affordable housing, building capacity, replacing infrastructure (like traffic lights) - as well as some fairly silly things. A healthy percentage of that money also goes to fund programs like Gamblers Anonymous. Statistics show that the people who are most likely to play the lottery are those who in the lower income ranges. There's a reason that there are so many 'unemployed cab driver wins $1 million' headlines - it's not a matter of a one in a million lucky draws. It's that those people are the overwhelming majority of of people playing the lottery. When you look at it that way, the lottery is a way of funding community projects through contributions from those with the least income. That said, I don't have a problem with a state lottery. I believe I feel differently about allowing casinos - and our city has rejected propositions to site off-track betting and casino gambling, even though both of those would bring jobs to the city.

I m agree and im pro state lotteries.

Umm, we already have a state lottery, worldwise. I think you are thinking of the Casino issue. I think it would be a wonderful idea. People who want to gamble are going to gamble anyway, why not have some of that money stay here instead of up I-74 to the Argosy? Like you said yourself, it will bring jobs and revenue to the state that it needs so badly. I am for it, because otherwise we are losing out on tax money that could be staying right here in Ohio.