You don't deserve 600,000,000 dollars.

[davidthegnome]

46. Here too.

I live in a very rural area - about 30 miles from any hospital. So, like most people living up here, I commute to work (about 45 miles there, 45 miles back). When I drive in during the morning, there's a gas station/grocery/whatever store that I usually stop at for a cup of coffee, or gas, or whatever. Just about every time I stop in I see someone spending money on scratch tickets... I can't decide whether it's amusing or depressing.

It's good that people dream, that people are optimistic enough to think, "Hey, maybe I'll win something!" it's not so good that so many people are struggling to the extent where... they spend their last few dollars on a scratch ticket in desperation. I also can't help but wish that some of that money would go towards a better cause. You know, just a percentage of this money going into charity programs would be great - and it might even encourage me to buy a couple tickets now and then, because whether or not I won anything, someone would be getting something good as a result.

I think there's lots of potential for doing some public good with lotto programs. I wonder if any of them are donating a portion of the profits towards charity now?