THE "LOT" IN LOTTERY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 488, 23 March 1933, Page 4

THE "LOT" IN LOTTERY

The problem which has arisen in regard to the sweep promoted by British Concessions, Limited, upon the Grand National, to be run to-morrow, is another illustration of the extent to which this country is weakening its own resources through the refusal of the Government to adopt a commonsense attitude toward the subject of lotteries in general. It will perhaps offend the hypercritical to say that it points a moral, for it smacks of heresy to suggest that morals and lotteries can have anything in common. It does, however, point a lesson, even if it is not exactly a moral one and the lesson is this. If we must have lotteries (and so long as the gambling spirit remains ingrained in human nature, apparently we must), it is much better that we should control them ourselves and ensure that they are, after all, really good lotteries. This is a point I which must appeal even to those who consider that lotteries, like

a great deal of vice, may exist but must never be recognised. ; In the case of the Danzig sweep, : particularly large prizes were : promised, but of course with the ; stipulation that the organisers reserved the right to reduce the ■ prize money if the sweep was : under-subscribed. In actual fact it now appears that it has been so much under-subscribed that holders of payable tickets will receive only 13f per cent. of the prize money originally stated. The great body of ticket holders who have been left with their tickets as their only coftsolation, will be able to accept this calamity without the anguish of spirit which will possibly afflict the holders of winning tickets as they contemplate the thousands snatched from their grasp. We are always, remarked the cynic, in a position to appreciate the misfortunes of others, and while this particular misfortune should not require any further solace than the few hundreds which remain, winning ticket holders will excusably feel that they have justification for bitter complaint. It may be pointed out to the advocates of bigger, brighter and better lotteries and to their opponents in the opposite camp, that this sort of thing could be largely obviated by a properly conducted system of State lotteries within the country. Such a system would larggly remove the present inducement to send large sums overseas in search of Eldorado and it would provide a guarantee to ticket holders that they would not be asked to revise their ideas at a moment's notice. While the promoters of the Danzig sweep have been honest with their investors, there are very many other lottery organisations endeavouring at different times to exploit the public, which are barefaced swindles. The "Snide" lottery is a particularly insidious form of swindling and it is one against which it is often impossible to safeguard the public, This form of exploitation also would be largely counteracted by a State lottery system, although it is too much to hope that it could ever be entirely eliminated. Toward the close of last session, there were indications that a strong effort will shortiy be made to persuade the Government to accept state lotteries. The arguments for and against the proposal have aiready been threshed out ad nauseam, but examples such as that provided by the Danzig sweep provide another argument to show that since the lottery spirit cannot be killed it is pref erable that it should be proper- 1 ly controlled and used to the! benefit of the Dominion. It is certain that the Government' s present attitude in refusing to countenance lotteries while it

permits the more euphemiously . termed art union, will never check the lottery spirit. It merely directs it into channels outside the country, depriving the Dominion of finaneial sinews which might otherwise be used to restore industry, and prosperity.