According to this article and study… poor people spend 9% of their income on lottery tickets.  It just makes me wonder what percentage of income poor people in South Dakota spend on video lottery or what percentage of their income ends up in the coffers of a payday loan center.
I’m all about personal responsibility and I acknowledge that nobody is forcing these people to spend so much on various forms of gambling, but I really wonder if this is an issue that stems from a lack of financial common sense, a simple lack of education, or merely the fact that these people are so desperate to improve their life situation that they will do anything and everything to try to escape the bounds of poverty.
The study neatly illuminates the sad positive feedback loop of lotteries. The games naturally appeal to poor people, which causes them to spend disproportionate amounts of their income on lotteries, which helps keep them poor, which keeps them buying tickets.
Dave Ramsey says it best… a lottery is merely a self-imposed tax on people who can’t do math.  I’d say that pretty much sums it up although (and this may sound cold-hearted) I still put my personal freedoms ahead of the ignorant.  I can’t support the idea that we ban gambling or lotteries merely because some people abuse the right to spend money on them because I believe we as Americans should be free to spend our money how we choose and the last thing we need is a government that tells us when and where it is ok to spend the money we earned.
This sort of relates to that new casino being built in Iowa, but I firmly believe South Dakota should open the floodgates on casino gambling.  If we had a handful of nicer casinos we would find fewer and fewer video lottery ‘casinos’ on every corner.  In addition to that, people wouldn’t need to drive to their nearest Indian reservation to play blackjack.  I know the tribes would hate the idea as would Deadwood, but it isn’t like people can’t waste their money gambling now if they want to… between video lottery, Indian casinos, and online gambling / online sports betting… there are more than enough ways for people to be parted from their hard earned dollar.  I guess allowing some real gambling at one or two casinos wouldn’t be the end of the world.  It seems to work really well for Sioux City… the Riverboat is the one destination and it just helps clean up the rest of the city.
If Coster quotes Dave Ramsey can I quote Dr Laura?
Hosenpheffer, don’t you have a garage to tear down or something?
“a lottery is merely a self-imposed tax on people who can’t do math.”
Very true. They prevent us from paying taxes we know we shouldn’t have to pay.
“If we had a handful of nicer casinos we would find fewer and fewer video lottery ‘casinos’ on every corner.”
Yes, get the state out of gambling.
Gaming is good in some respects. Business casinos do more for communities. The new Vegas focuses on entertainment. Casinos are but the draw. Reno high rise hotels are being converted into senior retirement condos. Indian reservations now have a business center when before it was just FEMA trailers.
Like I said in the other post, Vegas nor Deadwood were built on the backs of locals. That can’t be said about the Sioux Falls VL industry.
Addicts want anonymity and convenience, and they like free beer and munchies. Gamblers play on occassion, and lose what they can afford to. A few make a living out of it. They like amenities, good service and they don’t care if people are watching them, some actually want the attention. Addicts don’t bring the kids along to the lotto hole. Gamblers look for places they can bring the family so everyone can get their groove on, whatever that groove may be.
I don’t know about “opening up the floodgates” but Sioux Falls sure as shit needs to change their thinking. Make the Lyon County Casino a component of the bigger picture. Janoct might be whacko but he might also be right. Perhaps we should build a 6 flags on the East side of town. How about an outlet mall? How about a NASCAR track? In other words, people will be coming from several hundred miles away, let’s give them more things to spend their money on and also more reasons to tell people that there’s more in Sioux Falls than Citbank and Morrell’s.
Next, after Lyon Casino, look for a shopping mall at first exit in Minnestota. No tax on food or clothing in Minnesota. There’ll be an east side freeway (under construction) for quick access. An extra 10 minutes but newer, nicer, and unencumbered by city bribes or codes nonsense.
Consistantly, Sioux Falls fails to recognize the competition. It’s where taxes are lower, prices are cheaper, and entertainment is more exciting than Lawrence Welk. It’s become locations outside from city limits.
With an almost new council and a somewhat modern practical mayor; I miss the good old days when the council fought and nobody agreed with the mayor. It wasn’t cage fighting but it was always an entertaining real life roast.
It’s unproductive but isn’t that characteristic for Sioux Falls politicial types?