Would you like some instant-ticket scratchings in your coffee?

By adamg on Wed, 12/26/2007 - 5:30pm

John Daley is willing to put up with Rachael Ray and personal-pan pizzas at Dunkin' Donuts (or, at least, has yet to post about them). But he takes a stand on scratch-ticket sales at Dunkin' Donuts: No:

... I, for one, don't want to have to wait in line to get my morning fix while some guy ahead of me scratches away his paycheck.

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Comments

Thank god! Scratch tickets are so rare nowadays.

By Spatch on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 9:31am.

The plan would make gambling as easy as going to a vending machine...

...which you can already find at supermarkets all over. Star Market has 'em, f'rinstance. I fail to see the need which scratch tickets at Dunkies and CVS (and Home Depot, of all places) would supposedly fill, unless you were to suddenly close down all the packies and corner stores.

scratch ticket scumbags

By bostnkid on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 9:53am.

why do people have to play and buy scratch tickets at 6:30am? every time i go into a convenience store there is some old man (or old lady) buying 46 dollars worth of tickets.CAN YOU RETIRED GAMBLERS LET US GET TO WORK?!?
heres another peeve. Christmas eve i com out of my local store and there is an elderly black guy sitting on the bench outside. he asks me if i can spare any change. its the day before christmas so even though i usually dont, i give the guy a buck. he hops up, goes into the store and has his fat ass sitting back on the bench scratching a ticket before i get my car started. I felt like yelling something nasty but i didn’t.i never realized he was begging for scratch tickets.i thought maybe he was going in for a cup of coffee. never again.

Nothing like expanding an

By DueNorth on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 9:55am.

Nothing like expanding an aggressive idiot tax.

Here's an idea, cut waste, make government more transparent, stop the fee's, and tax progressively and accordingly.

If you live in New Hampshire, you might think you live free, but then you realize just how high property taxes in most towns are, combined with a lucrative state lottery that brings in tons of cash to towns and school. While it is up to a person to play, the lottery officials know how and why it works, and how to get their tax revenue under the disguise of free choice.

If you rent, and are well off not to give a flying crap about throwing away your paycheck to a idiots game, then you can do well for yourself tax wise.

Interesting arguments

By Gareth on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 10:20am.

I read a NYT article about an Alabama Law professor who is making arguments for greater tax equality based on Judeo-Christian principles. Quite interesting. As she says, "An A+ in charity does not average an F in justice to a C... All adherents of both the Christian and Jewish faiths have a moral obligation to work towards correcting oppressive tax laws."

Article
AL Web Site

Agreed

By Bostonian on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 11:32am.

Its a sad day for the Commonwealth when the budget depends so heavily on gambling that the state starts thinking up ways to get poor people to pilfer away even more of their money. Why not just legalize state-sponsored internet gambling and get it over with. Ca-ching! Although I don't typically agree with the notion that budget shortfalls can be solved through better management or should be solved by cutting spending, when the alternative is to milk poor people for more money through the lottery, I think its time to look seriously at (1) raising revenue another way - like raising the gasoline tax; (2) cutting some forms of spending however difficult it may be; and (3) increasing efficiency to the extent possible - like requiring cities and towns to join the state pension and healthcare systems to be eligible to receive any state funds, combining duplicative agencies (Massport, Masspike, MBTA, DCR, DOT...), etc.

Meanwhile, up at the statehouse

By bobmetcalf on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 11:50am.

Governor Patrick (No Ordinary Leader) is submitting a
budget that assumes revenue from proposed casinos
that don't actually exist yet:

bostonherald.com/...articleid=1061949

What the hell?

By independentminded on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 12:06pm.

I don't even read the Herald, but I think that the idea of putting casinos all over creation to bring in jobs, revenues, etc, is absolutely asinine. The idea that Deval Patrick would endorse and advocate that is beyond belief! I thought he was much more intelligent than that!! It's appalling and a disgrace, imho.

Not that this has a chance

By Suldog on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 12:11pm.

Not that this has a chance in hell of happening, but if the Governor and legislators wish to raise revenues via casino gambling, they should at least include some provisos for giving the gamblers an even break. For instance...

1) Reasonable minimum payback percentages on slots. In the range of 80-98%, with the percentages on each machine depending upon denomination, speed of play, etc.

2) Video Poker and other skill-based games in "full-pay" versions. The payouts are generally above 99% if the player knows the correct strategy; in some rare instances, the payouts go above 100%, thus making it a profitable enterprise for those willing to invest the time and energy in calculating the returns.

3) Some sort of protection for skillful players in other games, specifically 21. Harsh penalties for casino operators who use strong arm or intimidation tactics when they spot a player who plays to advantage (e.g., card counters.) No banning of players who can actually play the games to profit.

4) For the weaker players, and those with little self-control, NO ATMs allowed on the casino floor. Make these poor saps at least walk out the door and have time to think before they throw away the money they had sense enough to not bring in the first place.

Of course, since tax revenues will be tied to casino profits, the state will institute NONE of these measures, thus ensuring that all of the suckers get fleeced as quickly as possible and leaving no hope for the smarter among us to possibly make a few bucks.

Now, if the state decided to SELL licenses for a flat fee, with renewal fees at regular intervals, they might not be averse to actually giving the suckers an even break.

Hardly likely.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

Eeeewwwww....god....This is going to be sickening.

By independentminded on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 12:15pm.

The idea of the Bay State becoming one big gambling state, or an oversized Atlantic City, or a Las Vegas East is positively sickening. Do we really and truly want gamblers from all over New England and the country at large coming into the Bay State to gamble? I think not!

Invasion of the Slot Zombies!

By SwirlyGrrl on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 11:02pm.

They came, they saw, they pulled ... again and again and again!

Coming soon to a state near YOU!

Sure, that will happen

By bobmetcalf on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 1:09pm.

Right after they remove the tolls on the Mass
Pike!

NOT!