The Lottery

[Beanieboy]

Homosexuality! Now for something completely different:

Let's say that you and your co-workers play the lottery together at work. It was the idea of one of the people, not yours. However, you decide on a whim to pick up another ticket, or maybe your coworkers didn't collect money this one time, and you buy one on your way home.

Now, you win. Would you share the money with them? Do you owe it to them to share the money?

I remember reading in Ann Landers about a woman selling raffle tickets. The prize was $10,000. A woman she sold the ticket to won. To thank her, the woman gave the sell $100. The seller then thought, "You have $10,000. Why are you only giving me $100?" She thought that the woman "owed" her at least $1,000 since she was the one that sold it to her. I don't think she owed her anything, because the seller didn't put any money on the line. I may tip a buck or two if I win $100 in blackjack, but it wasn't the dealer's money that was being gambled.

However, in the first example, I think that if you are regularly playing with a group of friends or coworkers, and you win, you should share the wealth.

What do you think?

 

[The Nihilist]

if it was a decision I made, and they hadn't paid, even if it was that one time, then no.

 

[tapero]

if the ticket was the own persons ticket, then don't see why would need to split winnings with others, unless was bought for others, etc.

as to latter example;

i have been at store when clerk there said that when people win they don't give him anything, and you could tell he was upset about it; him being the seller. (he is not owner of store, is a worker there. owners get percentages in some states on wins, but is from the state)

I didn't say anything, but guy is way off the wall to expect that cause he sold ticket, rang up the register and pulled off a ticket and handed it to a customer who he's paid to do such for..

didn't want to burst his bubble any further, so said nothing..he was venting

 

[wanderingone]

I don't think you're obligated to share in your example, because the people chose not to participate that round. What you do with your winnings when you are the sole owner of a ticket is your business.

I think the expectation of rewards by people who sell raffle tickets etc.. is an ethical problem in itself-- I mean if the guy sells them a losing ticket does he split the $1, $10, $100 whatever cost they spent on the losing ticket?

 

[Beanieboy]

i have been at store when clerk there said that when people win they don't give him anything, and you could tell he was upset about it; him being the seller. (he is not owner of store, is a worker there. owners get percentages in some states on wins, but is from the state)

\

I agree. The percentage that the seller pays is what I am willing to share. If it was zero, then that's the percentage.

 

[Beanieboy]

One of the things that I thought about the 2nd example, was that it seems that it would have been better to not tip the seller anything. If you tip $10, they want $100. If you tip $100, they want $1000. If you tip nothing, they will just be miffed.

 

[Eve_Sundancer]

I would probably share some of the money. It's not something you're obligated to do, but it's nice.

As for being upset over the amount being too little... that's just greedy. If someone gave me $10 I'd be excited. That's $10 I didn't have before. I may have wanted a little bit more but you should never spurn a gift. If I won a lottery a majority of it would go to bills, a college fund for my son, and helping out friends and family. That ticket-seller may never know what good things that money was put to, and after it was put to good use there wasn't any left over. Or they just blew their money... but I'm trying to be optimistic.

 

[quatona]

I don´t like the idea behind lotteries (making a lot of people pay for the wealth of a few), in the first place. I´d like things to go the other way round in zero sum games.
The concept of lotteries is not "sharing", but then very opposite. Regarding the OP question, I am wondering why the virtue of "sharing" should become relevant at some point in the process - when the entire thing is exactly about getting other people´s money for becoming rich.

 

[trunks2k]

No, I don't owe them anything. The purpose of buying tickets in groups is to increase your chances of winning and getting part of the prize rather than no prize at all. If nobody else participated this time around, then why in the world would I owe them anything? Each drawing is an independent event. If nobody else bought tickets, and there was no understanding that such a grouping of tickets was being placed, then there is no contract either explicit or implicit between everyone.

The raffle thing is ridiculous. To have any expectation that the raffle winner owes the ticket seller anything blows my mind.

 

[yasic]

I would share if and only if we had an agreement amongst ourselves that we would share. I would think this would be fairly understood. - note this does not mean I will not help them out financially for other reasons, such as the fact that I will help my friends if I get a load of cash. Their playing preference or location at the time will make no difference though.

And why on earth would I share with the seller? I cant think of any reason for why I would want too or why anyone would want too... Sharing with the seller makes as much sense to me as sharing with the person after you in line who was going to buy the ticket.