Losing Bet -- Why Christians Should Avoid Lottery Fever
Albert Mohler
Author, Speaker, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The newspaper headlines certainly command attention when a record Powerball jackpot of at least $350-million is at stake. As a matter of fact, the gambling interests are counting on lots of attention -- and hoping for even greater sales.

The multi-state Powerball lottery's newest record jackpot comes almost three years after the last record-setting pay-off in 2002 ( a mere $314.9-million), and has been produced by a change in the lottery intended to boost jackpots in order to compete with other state lotteries.

Of course, the reality of the lottery is a bit more complicated. If a winner shows up with a ticket that matches all six numbers, the winning ticket-holder will not walk away with the full $350-million. The "cash option" for the jackpot will be $164.4-million -- and that's before the government steps in to claim taxes. Nevertheless, we can be sure there will be enough money left to entice participation. Thousands of ticket-buyers are rushing to purchase tickets.
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