Fun Police want to limit Lotto

Is there nothing the Fun Police don’t want to stop or restrict?

On the day of a record $26 million Big Wednesday Lotto draw, gambling counsellors are calling for a lower limit on lottery jackpots.

Problem Gambling Foundation chief executive Graeme Ramsey wants the $30 million cap on jackpots – doubled from $15 million in 2005 – to be cut to $12.5 million, which is below the level at which the public usually gets excited.

Oh yes we can’t have people getting excited.

If you accept the notion that because a very small minority of people have a problem with an activity, then everyone should be prevented from taking part in an activity – well we end up with a sterile society.

But the Lotteries Commission appears happy to see jackpot limits go even higher.

In a November briefing paper to then Internal Affairs Minister Richard Worth, the commission said it was looking into joining a proposed “world lottery” headed by Britain’s National Lottery.

“It is very likely that participation would entail lifting the current $30 million prize limit set on our games,” the paper said.

Great. There should be no limit. So long as there is transparency over the odds of winning, we should be able to have as big a prize pool as people want.

And while we are at it, why does the state have a monopoly in Lotto?