Page 11 - My FlipBook

The Temptation of State Lotteries

Some environmental contexts are believed to foster addiction. For compulsive
gamblers, state lotteries expand the sphere of temptation. The ubiquitous pres-
ence of the ever-promising scratch-off ticket makes those predisposed more
likely to gamble. Scratch-off tickets can be found at almost every gas station
in forty-four states as well as in the District of Columbia. In addition to income,
sales, and property taxes, states collect revenue from their lotteries. Propo-
nents of state lotteries argue that it is a way for states to collect a harmless,
voluntary tax—sometimes from out-of-state residents.
But opponents of state lotteries contend that gambling isnot exactly
a voluntary tax. They argue that because compulsive gambling has been
recognized as an addictive disease, the reliance on gamblers to fund public
services actually preys on their addictions. Furthermore, opponents argue
that state gambling administrators often downplay the poor odds of winning
to the point that gamblers are being tricked into these spending decisions.

Video game manufacturers use various methods to trigger the
reward center of the brain, says Ramsay Brown, the cofounder
of Dopamine Labs (a company that aims to increase the rate at
which people use game apps). Going shopping, fi nding a bargain,
and receiving a gift are natural ways dopamine is released in the
brain. To that end, loot boxes have been introduced as a reward
mechanism for that feel-good experience in video games. A loot
box is a virtual reward, usually with a price tag that includes real
money, containing a random item for the game. In some cases,
the item is described as rare, and users are given special oppor-
tunities to buy it with their money only after they level up. Some
gamers have spent their entire savings on loot boxes.
A young man who goes by the user name Kensgold says he
began playing video games at age thirteen. By the time he was
a sophomore in high school and was working a part-time job at
a sandwich shop, he was spending 90 percent of his wages on

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