Off the top of my head, it seems to me that Benton County residents, generally more affluent and better educated than Jefferson county residents, are more oriented toward reality, less desperate, and less given to the forlorn hope of winning big in the lottery.

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Let them play Wall Street!

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Again and again: tis voluntary. No agency, no government official, no law, no nothing requires, demands, twists arms, threatens, or pleas for anyone to purchase anything from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. No crime is committed if this voluntary participation takes place or if it doesn't. End of discussion.

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Transient ticket purchases in Pine Bluff? Well, folks, we got us a bypass that circles around the south of Pine Bluff with only two exits -- three if you count one at White Hall -- where there's much visible reason for transients to exit. (But gas is cheaper both north and south of here, a variation of as much as 14 cents the last time we trekked around a bit.) So I'd posit that some towns/counties with small populations along I-30 and I-40 should benefit even more from transient ticket buyers -- far greater numbers of transients to attract in comparison to population numbers, ya know.

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So's church goin', Cato, but you see a lot of folks casting a jaundiced eye at the ways of us heathens.

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Another thing that gets tiresome is complaints on this blog about televangelists seeking "love offerings" from listeners. 'Tis voluntary. No agency, no government official, no law, no nothing requires, demands, twists arms, threatens, or pleas for anyone to purchase anything. No crime is committed if this voluntary participation takes place or if it doesn't. End of discussion.

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It is also possible, Tarara, that Jefferson County residents are being victimized. Actually I suppose you might say, victimizing themselves. On a rough per capita basis, each Jefferson County individual, right down to the 2010 newborn babies, spent an average of about $300 a year for lottery tickets. On the other hand, the average Benton County resident, those 2010 newborns included, spent an average of about $50.
Of course, the average per buyer is certainly higher --yes, yes, in both counties -- when you factor in an unknown number of folks like me who have NEVER bought a lottery ticket. (Not because I'm totally opposed, but because I've never been interested enough to figure out how to blow my money on the BIG, BIG, BIG payoff possibilities.)
In any case, it’s not a pleasant picture down here.

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Front page, Times Record (Fort Smith), November 27, 2011

Scholarship Awards, Ticket Sales Align

By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas counties where the most lottery tickets are sold are, for the most part, the same counties where the most lottery-funded scholarships are awarded, an Arkansas News Bureau comparison of data from the lottery and the state Department of Higher Education shows.

When told of the comparison, lottery officials said the results should help dispel critics' claims that the lottery redistributes wealth from low-income areas where the lottery is heavily played to more affluent areas where fewer people buy tickets.




http://www.swtimes.com/state_news/article_…

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You are correct, Doc. And so is doigotta and "It is also possible, Tarara, that Jefferson County residents are being victimized. Actually I suppose you might say, victimizing themselves. "

Kinda like those stock market players. No one makes them pour their money into investors dominated by the Ken Lays ilk who are predators to lure those seeking instant wealth into their domain of bilking them to no end. It's just those who play the stock market condemn those who play the lottery. I don't know too many who play the lottery who condemn the stock market players because most of them don't give a s!!!...

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“Jefferson County … is the 2nd-biggest buyer of lottery tickets … and doesn't make the top 10 in scholarships.”

Could it be that fewer kids in Jefferson County are interested in college, thus don’t apply for scholarships? Could it also be that many Jefferson County students who do apply for scholarships don’t meet the GPA requirements? Did John Lyon look into such possibilities? I’d bet this week’s Powerball tickets he did not.

“Lottery critics naturally see evidence of pernicious preying on poor in such figures.”

And if they can’t find “evidence,” they’ll scream “preying on the poor,” anyway.

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Truth be told, Durango, it's preying on anyone who thinks the lottery is the way to ease their financial burden. You and I know it's the exceedingly rare player who doesn't lose money. If it were the other way 'round, there wouldn't be enough money to send a single kid out the door, much less to college.

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So how many times are we going to beat this dead horse? You either fur it, or agin it and you ain't changing nobody's mind!!!

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Doigotta,

It’s not unusual for me to agree with you, and I do in this case.

Yes, the lotto preys upon anyone who’s delusional enough to think it’s THE way to lighten their financial burdens. But I believe such individuals are very few and far between. Being poor doesn’t equate to being stupid or delusional as many lotto opponents would like for us to believe.

Far too many preachers, newspaper editorial writers and other lotto opponents generalize and abhorrently overstate when they spout their “preying on the poor” accusations as though only the poor (thus stupid in their eyes) play the lotto. I, for one, resent their narrow-mindedness and downright deceitfulness.

In the past, I’ve posted photos here of all the Arkansas lotto winners-to-date. They appear to be anything but poor. I’ve also looked around when I’m buying my Powerball and scratch-off tickets. Nobody looks deprived or dim-witted to me.

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Investing in company stocks entails some risk, to be sure, but it is simply false to equate it with gambling.

"Assessing the value of a company isn't an easy practice. There are so many variables involved that the short-term price movements appear to be random (academics call this the Random Walk Theory); however, over the long term, a company is only worth the present value of the profits it will make. In the short term a company can survive without profits because of the expectations of future earnings, but no company can fool investors forever - eventually a company's stock price can be expected to show the true value of the firm.

"Gambling, on the contrary, is a zero-sum game. It merely takes money from a loser and gives it to a winner. No value is ever created. By investing, we increase the overall wealth of an economy. As companies compete, they increase productivity and develop products that can make our lives better. Don't confuse investing and creating wealth with gambling's zero-sum game."

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/02/06…

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"Far too many preachers, newspaper editorial writers and other lotto opponents generalize and abhorrently overstate when they spout their “preying on the poor” accusations as though only the poor (thus stupid in their eyes) play the lotto. I, for one, resent their narrow-mindedness and downright deceitfulness." Posted by Durango

Sorry, Durango that we-uns 'narrow-minded' folks have caused you to be so resentful. We shore didn't mean nothing by it, Mr. D. And here we thought it might be okay to show a wee bit of concern for folks who squander precious dollars on scratchoffs and the like, money they can ill afford to throw away. Sorry, Mr. D, we'll try not to let our caring selves show like that again. No sir, Mr. D, we'll try to be just like you.

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