Letter: There's reason why lotteries are fading

People who wish to gamble will put their money where it has the best chance to win -- and state-run games are a scam, pure and simple.

The old three-number "policy" racket on which most state games are based (and which now uses the state's own numbers to determine its winners) pays $900, tax-free, for a winning $1 bet. The state pays $500, then taxes it.

And paying a lottery winner doesn't really cost the state a penny. A $10 million jackpot is paid in 20 yearly installments from an annuity.

At the end of the payoff period, the state still has $10 million-plus; and various governmental agencies have taken back more than $5 million in taxes from the "winner."

Can it be that bettors are wising up? Against those odds even keno looks pretty good.

BOB ASHMAN

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