Congratulations or regrets? (Cheyenne, Evanston: for sale, how much, house)

[Gxhardyg4]

Brushing up on current local events in Wyoming preparing for my visit and noticed you've joined the lotto craze. You've recently approved the lottery which becomes official July 1 though tickets not expected to start selling till the end of the year. Looks like no scratch-offs, just lotto. Excited? It's hard not to get excited when the pot gets to $600M. All that land in Wyoming for sale and somebody's got to own it, right? Of course your odds of winning are only 1 in 175,000,000.

Here in Texas, there was some guy buying $1000 in quick picks just ahead of me in line when the pot got up to $600M. I only play when the pot gets "up there". It's silly because the odds aren't any better and really, why bother when the pot's only $20M? What can you do with only $20M? $20M just doesn't buy what it use to.

[jody_wy]

don't think the State going to make enough , to make it worth it.....

[ElkHunter]

We did fine without it, up until now.

When South Dakota added the lottery, the big draw was the school system was going to get all this money and would never want again. Last year, South Dakota teachers pushed a bill to get a pay raise from taxes because South Dakota teachers are some of the lowest paid teachers in the Nation, and so are the schools.

[ScottStielow]

Hawaii outlaws all gambling of all kinds.
We won't be seeing any lottery it anytime soon even with budget issues. The Gambling bill has been sent to the State House and Senate for the last four years, and keeps getting voted down every year.
Scott

[branDcalf]

I don't think it will do the state much good and I didn't miss having it available.

[shadowwalker]

It will save me trips to denver, billings every few months. We did other things at these cities but I did buy powerball tickets for as long a time as we could. Yes I am bad.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Lotteries are voluntary taxation. A lottery is a far better way for the state to raise money than a $.10 increase in the price of gas. Casino gambling is common across the country now but a casino in Evanston would certainly pull Utah money into the state; Cheyenne has far greater potential than a few Colorado mountain towns. Besides, what right does the government have to tell people how they can and can't spend their money. Let's legalize it everywhere and let freedom ring.

[Teckeeee]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

We did fine without it, up until now.

When South Dakota added the lottery, the big draw was the school system was going to get all this money and would never want again. Last year, South Dakota teachers pushed a bill to get a pay raise from taxes because South Dakota teachers are some of the lowest paid teachers in the Nation, and so are the schools.

Yeah I remember the hooplah when I was a kid in CA, all the money is going to the schools BS! CA has some pretty crappy school stats after 30 years of lottery.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

Lotteries are voluntary taxation. A lottery is a far better way for the state to raise money than a $.10 increase in the price of gas. Casino gambling is common across the country now but a casino in Evanston would certainly pull Utah money into the state; Cheyenne has far greater potential than a few Colorado mountain towns. Besides, what right does the government have to tell people how they can and can't spend their money. Let's legalize it everywhere and let freedom ring.

Here's the thing. It all depends on what the politicians decide on how the money get's divied up, how much goes to the lottery, how much goes to the state. Yes, the Government is going to control it. What? You think they're going to let you and me figure it out?

IF, they use the money properly, to take over existing programs, or to enhance existing programs, then it will probably be of benefit. So many states have said, "Oh, new money, let's start this, let's start that, let's spend it on......" and they never look at existing programs to give relief to those of us that live here and pay here. South Dakota praised it as helping the schools out. Fact is, after billions were spent in South Dakota, some schools got less than $2,000. total, in the year.. A lot of South Dakota schools shut down basic things that you and I enjoyed in school, like, basketball, football, shop class, computer class, metal shop, wood shop, auto body, etc... Why are these programs shutting down when the lottery is there to save the day? It's because they redirect the money into programs like, "My favorite Teacher" that is a popularity contest with staff and the winning teacher gets a free trip to national, everything paid for.

Our schools are fixed up now and are holding very well. So like you say, let's get some roads rebuilt, some new roads built, etc... There are a lot of things, currently running, that could use extra money to enhance the programs. We need to think long and hard on where they money is going to be spent. You might want to spend it one way, and I may not like that program. How are we going to put together a program to monitor the money, and divide it up.

The very first thing we need to do is built meeting halls for "Gamblers Annonomous" and "Gamblers Rehab" and ........

[WyoNewk]

From what I remember reading about it after it became law, the state doesn't expect to make much money from it. I can't recall any numbers, but after administrative and advertising costs, the profit to the state wasn't going to be a huge amount -- nothing like the extra 10 cents per gallon of gas or other major incomes.