Lottery ticket buyers are disproportionately poor, and the odds are very bad. But governments want the money.
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DidyoubetonMarchMadness?
Idid,andmanyofyoudid,too.AmericansbetbillionsonNCAAtournaments.
Wealso“spent$60billionatcasinoslastyear[and]about$12billionononlinesportsbetting,”noteseconomistJasonSorensinmynewvideo.
Sorenspublishedastate-by-staterankingofgamblingfreedomacrossAmerica.Nevadaletsgamblingflourish,whileUtah,Hawaii,andGeorgiabanmostofit.
Nowsomepoliticianswanttobanmore.
PhiladelphiamayorCherelleParkermovedtobanarcade-stylegamblingmachinesfoundingasstationsandconveniencestores,loftilysaying,“It’snotOKtotemptourresidents…togambleawaytheirhard-earneddollars.”
Somestatesbanat-homepokergames,occasionallyevenarrestingplayers.
BureaucratsatPresidentJoeBiden’sCommodityFuturesTradingCommissiontriedtoprohibitbettingonelections.
Nowno-funU.S.Sens.DickDurbin(D–Ill.)andRichardBlumenthal(D–Conn.)wantsportsbettingbannedagain.
OK,it’struethatgamblingc
