Ten years after waging a losing battle against passage of the N.C. Education Lottery, Republican legislators now seem all too happy to enjoy the millions of dollars it generates.
The N.C. Senate budget proposal calls for an expansion of advertising – as if we don’t see or hear enough radio and television ads already. The Senate hopes new marketing will generate an extra $31.5 million a year. It goes even further by proposing online gambling in hopes of bringing in another $13.5 million in the first year of implementation.
How can anyone in North Carolina not know about the lottery at this point? The drawings interrupt television news every night. Standing in line to pay for a soda at the convenience store takes quite a bit longer than it used to, thanks to all the folks lining up for a chance to win.
And yet, the chances of winning are still about the same as being struck by lightning, eaten by a shark and falling into a sinkhole all at the same time.
We’ve used this space for more than a decade to rant about the predatory nature of the lottery and its impact on the poor and the gullible. We used to have a chorus of Republican voices ranting with us.
Now, it seems, the gravy train is too tasty to end.
