Business Imperatives & the Lotto

She (Rebecca Paul) also reminded them (the new NC lottery commission) that lottery tickets compete for discretionary dollars with other impulse buys in convenience stores and supermarkets, including snacks, beverages, and trinkets.

So the problem with the North Carolina lottery is not the potential for a big payday for whomever gets hired as the director. The problem is not the potential for advertising. The problem is that the lottery will be a unit of state government, where such compensation is inappropriate and aggressive advertising essentially forces the citizens of the state – forces you and me – into the role of gambling salesman.

John Hood