They will learn that, contrary to popular belief, state lotteries rely on a small group of heavy players for the bulk of their sales. A national study by two Duke University professors found that just five percent of players account for more than half of all lottery losses. The students will learn, too, that many of these individuals cannot afford to lose such vast sums. Some will learn by watching their parents squander thousands of dollars that could have put food on the table and shoes on their feet. High school dropouts spend four times as much as college graduates.
Blacks spend five times as much as whites.
Students also will learn that a government lottery works like Robin Hood in reverse, seducing meager resources from the poor and bestowing them on the middle and upper classes. This is no coincidence in Georgia or elsewhere. Unfortunately, it will take far more than four years of college to undo the damages of a lottery education. Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.