Dallas NAACP Wants Texas Lottery Shut Down

The Dallas chapter of the NAACP is calling on the state to abolish the Texas Lottery. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the nation's oldest civil rights group wants low income Texans to stop pumping money into the state lottery.

Dallas NAACP leaders say it's frustrating and discouraging to see so many poor and minority Texans wasting their money on Texas Lottery tickets instead of necessities such as rent or health insurance.

They've voted to lobby their state lawmakers to end the lottery, and while it's highly improbable, it could happen. The Texas Lottery is one of the state agencies the Sunset Advisory Commission is reviewing to determine whether they should keep operating or be shut down.

The legislature will review the Sunset Commission recommendations in the upcoming session in January, but almost no one outside the Dallas NAACP thinks lawmakers would abolish a revenue generator as big as the lottery, especially when the state is so hard up for money because of the recession.

Love it or hate it, the lottery is here to stay.  Besides, just removing the lottery won't stop gamblers from gambling. Gamblers will just move on to other games of chance.