Despite what the NGISC report argues, lotteries do not specifically target the poor. Such marketing would be inappropriate, both politically and economically. Moreover, lottery outlets are often outside of neighborhoods, where many lower-income people live. In other words, people from higher-income backgrounds often drive past these areas to buy lottery tickets. As a result, these neighborhoods have fewer stores, gas stations, and lottery outlets. Thus, they are unlikely to be the targeted segment of the population.
Legal minimum age to play lottery
The legal minimum age to play the lottery varies from state to state. While most states have no age limit, Colorado requires that players be at least 18 years old to participate. While it is illegal for a person under 18 to purchase or play the lottery, the age limit for charitable games is 16 years old. In addition, lottery players cannot buy merchandise or participate in charitable events if they are under the age of 18.
In addition to these laws, some states have specific restrictions regarding the purchase and playing of lottery tickets. For example, the state of Connecticut does not permit the sale of lottery tickets to minors, nor does it allow minors to buy or play lottery tickets. Meanwhile, in Delaware, the constitution locks in the minimum age for lottery participation at 18. However, the state’s Code Title 29, SS4810, allows a person to purchase a lottery ticket for someone else if he or she is 18 or older.
Problems with improper use of proceeds
Many people feel that the money raised by a lottery should be used for a particular cause. In fact, a survey of lottery players found that a majority of respondents would vote for a lottery that supported a specific cause. However, improper use of lottery proceeds is not the main cause of problems associated with lotteries. Another problem with the use of lottery proceeds is that many of these funds are used to support underage gambling.
Despite the many benefits, lottery proceeds often fail to meet their original purposes. For instance, the proceeds of the lottery often go toward funding specific programs rather than increasing overall education spending. While some states require lottery proceeds to go to specific programs, others leave the decision up to the government. Often, this results in government subsidized programs that should be funded through other sources.
Cases of winnings split between spouses
During a divorce or legal separation, the split of lottery winnings between spouses becomes much more complicated. The court has more leeway in deciding how to split these prizes, and in some cases it will award a larger share to the spouse who purchased the winning ticket.
There is an informal presumption that winnings are split 50-50, but there are no hard and fast rules. For example, in Weinig v. Weinig, the court awarded the wife 40% of the winnings, and the husband 60%. However, this was based on a 14-month marriage, and is not a definitive rule.