Lotteries

The Grand Jury for the city and county of New-York, have presented Lotteries as among the most alarming of all the growing evils. They represent that in less than three months eleven Lotteries have been drawn, with 500,000 tickets of four and five dollars each, making the enormous sum of $2,496,600. From their examination it seems that Lotteries are drawn every week, and this ratio gives fifty-two Lotteries for the year, comprising about 1,857,000 tickets sold, amounting to nine million two hundred and seventy thousand dollars. The deduction of fifteen per cent, on this sum, gives a profit to the vendors of the tickets of $ 1,390,500. In addition to this, the lottery-man gets another fee of one dollar on every Ticket sold, over and above the scheme price, which makes his percentage something beyond thirty-five per cent, or the sum of $3,249,500 for every year, for the city and county of New-York alone. This sinking fund of happiness will soon he worse than the Hells of London and Paris.


Lotteries have long been considered but another name for gambling; and at the rate thirty-five per cent, it would even be a much more desperate game than any of those played with cards. Added to this, the inducement it holds out to the youth of all classes to gain a support by other means than honest industry and we may consider that Lotteries are the most corrupting of all those fashionable offences for which society has yet provided no adequate punishment.

Originally published in Alabama State-Intelligencer, January 1, 1831. Photo via WCNC.