Xref: utzoo news.admin:7858 can.general:2246
Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!eci386!clewis
From: clewis@eci386.uucp (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: news.admin,can.general
Subject: Re: warning: scumbags using usenet for pyramid schemes
Message-ID: <1989Dec1.202156.13727@eci386.uucp>
Date: 1 Dec 89 20:21:56 GMT
References: <15389@vlsisj.VLSI.COM> <667@ursa-major.SPDCC.COM> <1989Nov19.004703.16570@rpi.edu> <1229@svx.SV.DG.COM> <256C7976.372@rpi.edu> <1989Nov28.170119.718@eci386.uucp> <75@van-bc.UUCP>
Reply-To: clewis@eci386.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Organization: R. H. Lathwell Associates: Elegant Communications, Inc.
Lines: 40

In article <75@van-bc.UUCP> sl@van-bc.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) writes:
>In article <1989Nov28.170119.718@eci386.uucp> clewis@eci386.UUCP (Chris Lewis) writes:
>>["get-rich-quick" schemes] are usually regulated
>>by the government, ostensibly, again, to avoid fraud.  (BTW: lottery
>>winnings aren't taxable in Canada, so there isn't a revenue incentive
>>for the govt.

>Certainly there is. They run them. Or at least own the companies that run
>them. 

Lotteries (and raffles) being legal far predate Government sponsorship (or 
profit taking for whatever purpose).  So, my point still holds.

Even now, non-governmental lotteries outnumber (but don't outgross) governmental
ones.

Generalized gambling (card playing, casinos and the like) is outlawed for
a number of reasons, partially because of attitudes such as yours (ye olde
"rent money" argument - which I don't intend to denigrate per-se), and partially
because it's too damn difficult to monitor, and is *far* too likely to attract
the criminal element.

Race-track gambling is permitted, inspite of similar "rent money" arguments
for the precise reason that it *is* possible to monitor and regulate.  And
the government gets taxes paid on the profits of the race track (but not
the lucky winners...).  Of course, certain jurisdictions (eg: Nevada,
and some noises being made here) recognize the potential revenue from casinos
(and ancillary ones like tourism etc.) as outweighing the other costs.

>Ostensibly here in BC the fund's generated go to fund things like
>sports, culture etc. Seems to me that if they didn't get funded by lotteries
>they would end up being funded by taxes. 

Or, more likely, not funded at all.
-- 
A fanatic is one who can't change his | Chris Lewis, Elegant Communications Inc
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