Category Archives: Jackpot!

Guess those fifty-dollar scratch-off Lottery tickets weren’t such a big deal after all. The Texas Lottery Commission is set to cut several poorly performing scratch-off games, even though more than $25 million in promised top jackpot prizes have yet to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve said before that I have decidedly mixed feelings about state-sanctioned gambling, in particular state lotteries. Part of that is because of the social costs of gambling, especially on lower-income folks, and part is because of the sleazy characters involved … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Texas lottery revenues are declining. Texas officials fear that revenues dropped more than $100 million in the most recent fiscal year — a $49 million blow to public education — because the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This is just what school districts need to hear right about now. Texas lottery officials are monitoring a decline in ticket sales that they say could reduce the amount of money the lottery sends to public schools if the trend … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You have to hand it to Governor Perry. He never gives up, no matter how bad the idea is. Texans could buy lottery tickets at the checkout lines in supermarkets and big-box department stores, at coffee shops and cabarets. They … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Starbucks is giving away 8 oz cups of its new “everyday” coffee at all its locations at 11 a.m. CDT today. This freebie only lasts 30 minutes, so don’t be late or you’ll turn into a pumpkin latte. There has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I thought the idea of privatizing the Lottery was pretty much dead after it went over with such a thud last year, but apparently some bad ideas never truly go away. Texas would have to expand gambling to see the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You may need to sit down for this one: Those fifty-dollar scratch-off games that the Texas Lottery pushes on the public in the hope of luring richer people to play, are instead mostly bought by not so rich folks. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This is one of the more disturbing political stories I’ve seen lately, both for its lack of concrete information and its far-reaching implications. Texas’ ailing racing industry is planning an expensive gamble for survival — a $3 million campaign and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve expressed my ambivalence about state-sanctioned gambling before. On the one hand, I’ve got enough civil libertarian in me to be wary of outlawing clearly popular activities like gambling. On the other hand, the gambling industry, especially the state lottery … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ll never understand it, but plenty of people are snapping up those fifty-dollar scratch-off Lottery tickets. For all the naysayers who couldn’t imagine folks gambling on $50 on a single lottery ticket….Turns out, the state is making out like a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The good news is that rich folks do seem to be buying those new fifty-dollar scratch-off Lottery tickets, as the Texas Lottery Commission thought they would. The bad news is that they’re not buying any of the other pricey scratch-off … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You know what I was thinking? I was thinking that what our great state’s watering holes really needed was the ability to sell lottery tickets. And now, they may just get it. The House gave final approval this afternoon to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember Rick Perry’s grand idea to sell the Lottery? Perhaps you’ve forgotten, since the last I can recall hearing about it was in February, and as far as I can tell it’s deader than Generalissimo Franco. But just to prove … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There are things in this life whose appeal completely eludes me. Things like broccoli. Kenny Chesney. Fifty-dollar lottery tickets. That’s the price of the state’s newest scratch-off game, dubbed $130 Million Spectacular, which goes on sale Monday and offers nearly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

In February, the Chron printed a story about how the Lottery would continue to sell scratch-off games long past the point where all of the top prizes had been claimed. After the predictable outrage, the Texas Lottery Commission has changed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As someone once said, “Of course the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you–if you don’t play, you can’t win.” Except that with scratch-off games, you might not be able to win anyway. anyone spending $5 on a Deal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve got to give the Senate Finance Committee credit here – they asked some pretty good questions about the proposed Lottery sell-off. Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, wondered whether a private company operating the lottery might view slot machines as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Here’s a thought: Could the effort to sell off the Lottery be a back door to expanded gambling? The Texas Lottery might look quite different under a private operator if the state opens the door to online games, casino-style Keno … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I can’t even think of a good snarky intro to this, so I’ll just say it: Governor Perry’s son has been hired by one of the financial consulting outfits involved in the proposed Lottery sell-off. UBS, one of two large … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m sure you’ll be as shocked as I was to learn that Governor Perry’s harebrained scheme to sell off the Texas Lottery comes complete with its own cozy lobbyist connections, just like the HPV vaccine order did. Former U.S. Sen. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve highlighted the logical incongruities of Governor Perry’s plan to sell off the Texas Lottery, but as I’m not what I’d consider a financial expert, I wasn’t sure if I was missing something obvious. Now, thanks to Vince, I see … Continue reading → Continue reading →