Establish a lottery in Nevada

By Roger Witcher, Las Vegas

Friday, March 6, 2015 | 2 a.m.

It surely would be great to have a lottery in Nevada. While I don’t gamble in the casinos, I do make an occasional trip to Primm to buy lottery tickets. Yes, I know there is a minuscule chance of winning, but just the hope of winning gives me a small thrill.

It is beyond me why our state is passing up the opportunity to rake in lottery revenue, which could be used to repair streets and roadways and improve our education system. According to the Wikipedia article “Lotteries in the United States,” lotteries are currently established in 44 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They have become a significant source of revenue for the states, raising $17.6 billion in profits for state budgets in the 2009 fiscal year.

I have read that casinos worry that having a lottery would cut into their profits. I think the impact on profits would be minimal. First, there are many people like me who do not gamble in the casinos but would buy lottery tickets. Second, it is unlikely that the few dollars per week gamblers might spend on lottery tickets would have more than a minimal impact on the amount of money they spend in the casinos.

Do the majority of the people in Nevada want a lottery? I believe so, but let’s put the question on the next general election ballot and know for sure.