Grappling with the Gray #133: Are lottery players getting played?

Can the greater good become an excuse for doing bad?

That's the question that drives the conversation when ☘️Mark O'Brien, S. Scott Mason, and • Kirsten Yurich join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic.

Revenue from state lotteries goes to support a host of social causes, including education, environment, and veterans, among others. However, Fortune Magazine reported last year that: 

“The average adult living in the poorest 1 percent of zip codes spends almost 5 percent (or $600 annually) of their income on lottery tickets, per the analysis. . . . Those living in the wealthiest 1 percent of zip codes spend only $150 on tickets, amounting to 0.15 percent of their paycheck.”

Writing for National Review, Ben Connolly argues that the lottery is essentially a tax on the poor, observing that:

“If you eliminated serial ticket buyers, and states only took money from people who bought a lottery ticket once a year on their birthday, state lotteries probably wouldn’t even cover their costs.”

He goes on to argue that:

“Gambling is a vice. It is not a social good. It is not an individual good. One of the roles of the conservative in society is to frown upon vices, to enforce social stigma against those activities that harm both the individual and society. Whether or not you believe that adults should be free to make their own choices about their money, including choosing to waste it on sports betting or lotteries, every conservative [and even libertarian] should agree that states shouldn’t be profiting from a vice.”

We recognize that drug addiction undermines the health of our society. Is gambling addiction different? Should gambling be outlawed, or at least controlled, like drugs? And if not, does it then matter if government profits from it?

Meet the panel:

Jennifer Elder is a CPA and Certified Speaking Professional who helps leaders future-proof their businesses by making smart decisions and staying ethical.

Scott Mason, aka the Myth Slayer, is a speaker, podcast host, and coach working with executives and entrepreneurs to Magnetize & Monetize Professional Freedom by Dislodging Toxic Myths to Ignite the Charisma Within.

Kirsten Yurich is an Organizational Performance Management Consultant, Peer Leaders Group Chair with Vistage Worldwide, Inc., and Adjunct Professor of Education at Felician University.

#ethics 

#culture 

#accountability 

#leadership 

#socialgood