March 10, 2010
What Is The Difference Between Lottery And Gambling?
Gambling is a game of luck and uncertainty, which involves placing a bet, with all the other players agreeing to put their possessions at stake, in exchange for a chance to win the booty. The players can put up anything valuable as stake, such as cash, agricultural lands, or any precious gems that they may have at the moment. Ultimately, the winner sweeps the booty that was put at stake by the rest of the players, without compensating them for what they lost.
Gambling can be of different types such as online betting, slot machines, card games, lottery, etc. Lottery is also a very popular type of gambling, in which the winners can win pre-decided gifts and prizes.
In many parts of the world, especially in the Islamic nations, gambling is considered to be a big taboo or sin and is therefore considered as immoral. Therefore, in Islam, gambling is forbidden or ‘haram’. But irrespective of such strict restrictions, gambling and lotteries are continuing to gain a lot of popularity in many parts of the world.
But in the other parts of the world, gambling has gained immense popularity and it is treated not only as a means of earning some extra cash, but also as a means of entertainment. Governments of many countries like Spain, France, Canada, Belgium, U.K, and in several states in the U.S even encourage lotteries and conduct mega lottery bonanzas from time to time. The revenues so generated are used for improving public utilities and general facilities for the public, such as using the funds from lottery for construction of schools, playgrounds or hospitals.
Many people, however, prefer to ignore lotteries because they are of the opinion that lotteries are nothing but “taxes levied on stupidity”. They feel so because the chances to win the lottery is very low when compared to the other forms of gambling and inspite of knowing this fact, uncountable people still prefer to buy a lottery ticket and try their luck. Hardly do they know the fact that their money fills up the government’s public utility funds, just as the taxes paid by us fill in the government’s treasuries, and therefore, they prefer to refer to lotteries as ‘tax on stupidity’.
It has been reported from many parts of the world that people are taking up gambling not as a means of entertainment, but as a serious way of generating income for themselves. This obsession to gamble has taken a far more ugly shape and many individuals are reported to be suffering from compulsive gambling, which is a psychological disorder, wherein the patient cannot overcome the desire to continue gambling, although he may have incurred huge loss because of it.
Gambling must only be played for the sake of pure enjoyment and not as a means of earning a livelihood. Lottery or gambling is acceptable as long as nothing valuable is put at stake and little prizes are used as stakes, so that no one loses out on any hard earned possessions.
Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a South African UK Lottery Ticket website, where you can buy tickets to play the UK lottery and stake your claim in the Euro millions draw.
Filed under Finance by Graham McKenzie

