Letter: A state lottery would be a win-win situation

Thursday, March 29, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

Our newly elected governor, Jim Gibbons, has argued against a more than 2-to-1 majority vote of the Assembly to initiate a state lottery. The people's representatives have voted and determined that the enormous profits from a state lottery will provide books, computers and other educational materials. And, I surmise, possibly better pay and higher-quality educators for our struggling school system.

But the governor claims that running a lottery is not "a proper function of government," and that the state shouldn't be competing with our state's gaming industry. Mr. Gibbons' argument holds no water. He must feel that states now conducting lotteries are all wrong. The Powerball lottery alone is in 29 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands, not to mention other states that have local lotteries to raise funds for education and other needs.

He also said a lottery would compete with Nevada's gaming industry. I and obviously my representatives in the Legislature disagree. People who buy lottery tickets are gamblers. If they win a few million in a lottery, they will not stop gambling. They will take some of their millions down to the casinos, and - voila! - who wins? The casinos, the state of Nevada, and most important , the school system. Where is the competition?

I suggest that Mr. Gibbons take a ride down to the California state line when the lottery is up to about $300 million and take a look at the long line of Nevadans waiting to support California's state coffers. If we had a lottery, a significant portion of those dollars would go to our school system, and the tax on the casino industry's profits would not have to possibly be raised from less than 7 percent to 8 percent or more.

A state lottery in Nevada is a win-win proposal for the state, the school system and, yes, the casino industry.

Frank Musaraca, Henderson

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