Dont bet on buying a lottery ticket in North Carolina anytime soon.
Gov. Mike Easley, who has advocated a lottery since before he took office in 2001, continues to push for a lottery. But even the primary supporter of a North Carolina lottery in the state House said it would not happen this year.
The 2004 short session of the General Assembly is supposed to tackle the states budget and non-controversial issues, House Co-Speakers Richard Morgan, R-Moore, and Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, have said.
Its a controversial issue, said Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, who has sponsored a number of bills calling for a lottery in North Carolina.
His latest lottery bill, which he filed at the beginning of the short session, would provide for a local option lottery. Under that proposal, county commissioners would be able to decide whether to call for a local referendum on a lottery. Counties that approve a lottery would receive 25 percent of the proceeds for school construction within their boundaries.
While Owens acknowledges that the bill likely wont come up this year, he wants to keep the issue a topic of discussion among policymakers.
I still want to plant the seed and get it out there for discussion, he said.
And Owens admits hes still six to 10 votes away from having enough support to get the lottery through the House.
Opponents of a lottery argue that the state should not be in the gambling business and that having a lottery would create too many social problems.
John Rustin, a lobbyist for the N.C. Family Policy Council, which opposes a lottery, said its inappropriate for the state to be involved in gambling.
The thing that really troubles us more is the fact that it will turn many of our citizens into compulsive gamblers, who become addicted to gambling, Rustin said. Studies consistently show very high correlation between gambling addiction and increase in crime, domestic violence, child abuse, theft, bankruptcy and even suicide.
Easley and Owens argue that North Carolinians, especially those who live near borders of other states, are already playing the lottery in those states.
Were spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year building new schools in South Carolina while were packing our kids in trailers back home, Easley said.
Owens estimated that North Carolinians spend $250 million a year playing lotteries in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.
Rustin counters that spending $250 million on lottery tickets doesnt translate into $250 million going into those states funds to help education.
Generally, half of the money taken in by a lottery goes to prizes, with another 16 percent paying administration costs. That leaves about 34 percent going to public programs, Rustin said.
So if North Carolinians are paying $250 million for border state lottery tickets, only about $85 million is going into state education programs, he said.
North Carolinians spend money in lots of other states doing other things, Rustin said. Its just a ploy to support the state getting into the gambling business when all the problems that come along with that and the expenses are well known.
Owens said he believes most North Carolinians favor having a lottery, but believes lottery opponents are quite active in contacting lawmakers.
The people that contact us are the vocal minority, Owens said. More than 70 percent in North Carolina that are polled are in favor of letting the people vote on a lottery.
having or not lottery here in NC?? I dont care about this law, every saturday I go across the border to South Carolina and play my tickets it take 30 minutes. What I think his realy "FUNNY" is that it is illegal, agains the law they say, to carry tickets across the border, but when a North Carolinian win the lottery (I remember we had 3) they have to pay taxes in South and North carolina, yes sir its illegal to play lottery but if you win, IT IS COMPLETLY LEGAL TO PAY TAXES TO NORTH CAROLINA. is this not amazing.
having or not lottery here in NC?? I dont care about this law, every saturday I go across the border to South Carolina and play my tickets it take 30 minutes. What I think his realy "FUNNY" is that it is illegal, agains the law they say, to carry tickets across the border, but when a North Carolinian win the lottery (I remember we had 3) they have to pay taxes in South and North carolina, yes sir its illegal to play lottery but if you win, IT IS COMPLETLY LEGAL TO PAY TAXES TO NORTH CAROLINA. is this not amazing.