Dum Spiro Spero Top fanDecember 17, 2025 at 8:33 pm
Good column, pointing out another example of right-wing evangelical hypocrisy. Fits nicely along with their strong support of a President who is the antithesis of a Christian.
CongareeCatfish Top fanDecember 18, 2025 at 8:56 am
Let’s pump the brakes here for a second. If the true stated reason for opposing a casino is increased “human trafficking, drugs, crime, addiction and economic depression” then before I would label the anti-casino/pro-lottery crowd as hypocrites I would first examine if there is reasonable factual support for that statement, and then examine if the lottery does the same. If so, then the label is apt. I honestly don’t know the answer to that question, but on just a casual observation level, I can’t say that I’ve seen much of a correlation between the lottery and those social ails beyond whatever already existed in the particular locale. I do think there is strong evidence that state lottery sales are highest in the poorest neighborhoods, so there is an argument to be made that it effectively becomes a transfer of wealth issue from the poor neighborhoods to the affluent university class – but it’s a free country, and no-one is forcing anyone to buy tickets. And while I would have concerns about my young adult children going to Vegas or a local casino for fear of them getting into those kinds of troubles, I wouldn’t have those fears about them pulling into our local Circle-K and buying a lottery ticket.
4 comments
Sounds like normal run-of-the-mill Republican evangelicals to me
These are all good points by Will. You cannot be against gambling and for gambling at the same time. Unless you are a politician, I guess.
Good column, pointing out another example of right-wing evangelical hypocrisy. Fits nicely along with their strong support of a President who is the antithesis of a Christian.
Let’s pump the brakes here for a second. If the true stated reason for opposing a casino is increased “human trafficking, drugs, crime, addiction and economic depression” then before I would label the anti-casino/pro-lottery crowd as hypocrites I would first examine if there is reasonable factual support for that statement, and then examine if the lottery does the same. If so, then the label is apt. I honestly don’t know the answer to that question, but on just a casual observation level, I can’t say that I’ve seen much of a correlation between the lottery and those social ails beyond whatever already existed in the particular locale. I do think there is strong evidence that state lottery sales are highest in the poorest neighborhoods, so there is an argument to be made that it effectively becomes a transfer of wealth issue from the poor neighborhoods to the affluent university class – but it’s a free country, and no-one is forcing anyone to buy tickets. And while I would have concerns about my young adult children going to Vegas or a local casino for fear of them getting into those kinds of troubles, I wouldn’t have those fears about them pulling into our local Circle-K and buying a lottery ticket.