Maryland lets problem gamblers exclude themselves from lottery

Comment #29

jamella724 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:43:27 GMT

This is absurd. It's hard to understand why will they sign up for an exclusion program then they will go to casino or play lottery when they know the restrictions of this program. I hope they can come up with a better program to treat people who are addicted to gambling.

Comment #28

Party1377 — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:51:26 GMT

I didn't even bother finishing reading that article. lol

A big WTF are these people high? lol (Who is going to sign them self's up for that list on there own

Comment #27

RedStang — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:37:15 GMT

These States offer help but they make impossible for people to stop. There's lotto everywhere and you can buy almost any time. We have a Auto Body shop that's selling lotto,wtf.

Comment #26

Erzulieredeyes — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:41:20 GMT

Exactly!

It doesn't require a PHD to see the Bull s#!t in this story.

The lottery wants you to still spend your money, but wants you to give up rights so they don't have to pay ya!

Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense! lol

Comment #25

Coin Toss — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:35:04 GMT

From the OP:

Joanna Franklin, program director for the Center on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, doubts the usefulness of the expanded exclusion list.

It's not going to help very many people, Franklin said, because the program does not stop them from buying tickets.

The list, she said, isn't even likely to stop people from cashing in their winnings. Don't you think someone is going to be able to find someone else to cash it in? Franklin said.

BING... [ More ]

Comment #24

Erzulieredeyes — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:31:39 GMT

I might sign up for this myself..lol Maybe these volunteers will be the faces under secret contract to win the MONSTER jackpots from Mega Million and Powerball. MM and PB will select one of these volunteers and pay them off with a few million for a good story, publicity, and to keep their mouth shut.... the rest PB/MM will keep for themselves.

This story just seems odd..lol I can't imagine anyone volunteering to fork over winnings. If the lotto wanted to help people kick habits then maybe the... [ More ]

Comment #23

rdgrnr — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:30:13 GMT

I can't believe anybody would be so stupid as to sign a contract to give some government bureaucrat/schmucks even MORE control over their private life.

Unbelievable.

Welcome to the Machine.

Comment #22

Artist77 — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:23:07 GMT

Next to the Quickie scratch off tickets, this is the dumbest thing I have ever read lottery wise. There is absolutely zero benefit to the individual in doing this.

Comment #21

grwurston — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:34:42 GMT

Typical Md. All the neighboring states open up casinos. Maryland won't do it. So residents spend their money out of state.

They put it on a voter referendum. It gets voted in, they still won't do it. Meanwhile, they advertise all the new lottery game

promotions, and the local horse racing industry (think preakness) but won't open casinos. Years later they finally,

(recently) start opening the casinos and now they come up with this. They promote gambling, but don't want you to do it... [ More ]

Comment #20

PlayToWin47 — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:33:07 GMT

I agree! How silly is it to have to sign a list to stop ... Duh

Comment #19

CLETU$ — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:30:30 GMT

If people would just mind their own business instead of trying to tell other people how to live their lives this would be a much better world for all of us.

Comment #18

colatrips — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:40:46 GMT

I agree with you it doesn't end. These people are under the impression that they have the power to do what's best for the common good and the hell with the individual. The fact is that life is responsibilty and everyone is responsible for their own life.

Comment #17

CLETU$ — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:01:03 GMT

Yeah,let's just have a nanny state and ban everything that someone percieves as bad for you.Don't eat chocalate because it'll give you pimples and make you fat.Don't drink beer because it will lead to you drinking whiskey.You can't have a gun because guns kill people.Better register that steak knife because it's a dangerous weapon.Where does it end

Comment #16

yoho — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:33:09 GMT

I agree. They should just ban cigarettes completely and get it over with.

Comment #15

haymaker — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:08:25 GMT

@ Mypiemaster

Thanks,

also your comment rhymes.

Comment #14

mypiemaster — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:39:21 GMT

Well said. You hit the nail right on the head.

Comment #13

haymaker — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:18:29 GMT

This is stupid, and we have jackass senator in Jersey that wants to raise the age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21,

no wonder this country is in trouble, these morons can't deal w/real problems,

so they play w/silly things just to act like they're doing something.

Comment #12

HoLeeKau — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:07:13 GMT

Doesn't knowing you can't cash it in make you think twice before buying a ticket?

As a food addict, I know if someone said I could buy that bag of chips but there's some mechanism in place so that I can't eat them, I just wouldn't buy the chips. I wouldn't go ahead and drop the money for them.

Signing up for the gambling lists is voluntary. I would guess only people who want to change their habits are gonna sign up. Having that little voice in your head telling you that you can't win is p... [ More ]

Comment #11

OldSchoolHits — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:35:07 GMT

What a joke!!!! This does nothing to actually help the problem gambler. I myself am one, I have to admit it.... I'm addicted to scratch offs. I have been for 15 years!!!! It's very difficult to just stop playing....and this law does nothing to actually help the gambling addict. There's nothing that stops people from buying the tickets, they just can't collect any winnings!!! What a joke!!!! Here, spend your money, but if you win we won't give you the winnings. I wish I could stop playing, becaus... [ More ]

Comment #10

RJOh — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:33:08 GMT

Something like that could work for addicted drunk drivers. It could save time since the person if seen coming out of a bar and headed toward his car could be arrested and assumed to be up to no good. That's something drunks could support.

Comment #9

Stack47 — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:33:29 GMT

People on that list agree to be cited for trespassing if found in one of the state's casinos.

That's exactly what every state needs, a list people with any addiction can sign and self incriminate themselves. A problem drinker could be arrested for going into any place that serves or sells alcoholic beverages or opening a fridge with beer in it. The jails will be full of people addicted to watching football.

How do they come up with these weird ideas and then make them a law

Comment #8

Jill34786 — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:57:52 GMT

Just another way for the state to benefit at the expense of someone in dire need of help.

Comment #7

CLETU$ — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:51:32 GMT

If you are married you can have your spouse collect the winnings for you.If you aren't married you can have some other family member collect the winnings.If its a major jackpot,see a lawyer.

Comment #6

sully16 — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:15:36 GMT

Seems I heard of an incident where someone was on a list, went and gambled anyway and won, then somehow it turned into a lawsuit. hmmmm

Comment #5

RJOh — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:11:00 GMT

Sounds like the state would be the winner in that case.

The addict can buy all the tickets he wants, he just can't collect his winnings so the state is always going to win.

With the up coming changes in MM the same thing will happen to all lottery players, they can buy all the tickets they want but the odds of ever winning a jackpot are going to be harder.

Comment #4

mypiemaster — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:41:24 GMT

Signing up for this exclusion program is totally nuts. While at it, why not sign up for no food, no drinks and no sex. What if the $600 million[approx] jackpot winner is on that exclusion program, then what?.

Comment #3

jackpotismine — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:57:08 GMT

If you have a problem many can't just stop playing . That's what an addiction is. Some people have strong will powers but many don't.

Comment #2

th19940305 — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:49:16 GMT

If you have a problem, just stop playing. Use will power not some list

Comment #1

maringoman — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:30:58 GMT

Supposing you sign that thing and then come the holidays and your cheap cousin decides to give you a $5 scratch ticket that turns out to be a $10,000 winner. NOT GOOD

Maryland lets problem gamblers exclude themselves from lottery

Lottery Post — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:17:05 GMT

Individuals on voluntary list must forfeit winnings

Maryland has become the third state to offer a voluntary system to restrict the ability to play the lottery, officials announced Tuesday.

The program is an expansion of the casino exclusion program launched in 2011, several months after Maryland's first casino opened. People on that list agree to be cited for trespassing if found in one of the state's casinos.

Once signed up for the lottery exclusion list, a person is required to forfe... [ More ]