Pick 6 and Jersey Cash 5 were among the topics highlighted at the Millville, NJ's chamber of commerce luncheon meeting on Tuesday.
The luncheon's featured speaker was Jaimee Gilmartin, public information officer for the New Jersey Lottery.
She described how the contest enjoyed by millions benefits the state.
The state Lottery, Gilmartin said, has since its 1970 inception provided more than $13.1 billion to programs and institutions that directly serve New Jerseyans.
In 2003, 36 percent of Lottery revenues, or about $765 million, went to support programs ranging from the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf to the operation of homes for disabled soldiers.
Other beneficiaries included underprivileged children, developmentally challenged individuals and treatment programs for troubled youth.
"Each ticket provides support for those who are truly in need," Gilmartin said.
Some 56 percent of 2003 Lottery revenues went to players and prizes, while only 1 percent was needed to operate and promote the lottery.
The remaining revenues paid for retailer commissions and vendor fees.
"We are one of the most cost-efficient lotteries in the nation," Gilmartin said.
Gilmartin's presentation highlighted the various lottery contests, including the newly created "Cyber Slingo," where players can enter the lottery on-line.
"You have an increasing number of people who like to do things on the computer,"she said. "So we developed something for those people."
She also had some cautionary tips for the audience, noting that a number of lottery scams have become common throughout the country.
"You'll have someone claiming to be an illegal alien who can't claim their ticket," she said. "They'll offer to sell you a 'winning ticket' which will turn out to be a fake."
Other common scams include direct mail pieces or e-mail messages asking for credit card information and promising instant lottery prizes.
"Never, ever give out your credit card information to someone who says you've already won something," Gilmartin said.
Gilmartin said any tickets bought should be signed immediately.
"We had one winner whose ticket fell out of his pocket, and was picked up by someone else," Gilmartin said. "The ticket was not signed. He wound up losing $13 million."
Gilmartin emphasized that playing the Lottery is not gambling, and noted that hotlines for those with gambling problems are included on state Lottery brochures.
"Gilmartin emphasized that playing the Lottery is not gambling, and noted that hotlines for those with gambling problems are included on state Lottery brochures."
Playing the lotteries is not gambling, but all states have a gambler hotline on their websites and in their brochures because they know gamblers do play their lotteries while the non-gamblers look at playing the lotteries as donating to a good cause.
Me, I'm a gambler who donates to good causes by playing State lotteries and I only donate what I can afford to lose.
i agree with RJOh about playing what i can afford to lose.
...and with the exception of Pball, i'm in and out of various lotto games at different levels. i pretty much play on a preset budget and if i win a prize or two consider that money i can use to splurge on tickets outside my normal scheme. it's fun to play lotto with the thought in the back of one's mind of a large jackpot (which certainly could happen to anyone with a ticket), but much of the fun for me is just a plain old interest in numbers.
>Gilmartin emphasized that playing the Lottery is not gambling, and noted that hotlines for those with gambling problems are included on state Lottery brochures.
What kind of dictionary did he get his definition from? I guess "Socrates" Gilmartin was using the logic "Gambling is bad and illegal. The lottery is good and legal. Therefore, the lottery is not gambling." George W. Bush uses logic like this all the time and it works for him.
Since the NJ lottery has been declared a charitable contribution and not gambling, I'm sure the state won't mind if people write it off on their taxes like they do real charity donations.
"Gilmartin emphasized that playing the Lottery is not gambling, and noted that hotlines for those with gambling problems are included on state Lottery brochures."
Playing the lotteries is not gambling, but all states have a gambler hotline on their websites and in their brochures because they know gamblers do play their lotteries while the non-gamblers look at playing the lotteries as donating to a good cause.
Me, I'm a gambler who donates to good causes by playing State lotteries and I only donate what I can afford to lose.
RJOh
i agree with RJOh about playing what i can afford to lose.
...and with the exception of Pball, i'm in and out of various lotto games at different levels. i pretty much play on a preset budget and if i win a prize or two consider that money i can use to splurge on tickets outside my normal scheme. it's fun to play lotto with the thought in the back of one's mind of a large jackpot (which certainly could happen to anyone with a ticket), but much of the fun for me is just a plain old interest in numbers.
>Gilmartin emphasized that playing the Lottery is not gambling, and noted that hotlines for those with gambling problems are included on state Lottery brochures.
What kind of dictionary did he get his definition from? I guess "Socrates" Gilmartin was using the logic "Gambling is bad and illegal. The lottery is good and legal. Therefore, the lottery is not gambling." George W. Bush uses logic like this all the time and it works for him.
Since the NJ lottery has been declared a charitable contribution and not gambling, I'm sure the state won't mind if people write it off on their taxes like they do real charity donations.
I consider the lottery probably the most morally accepted form of legal gambling.