But brought front and centre of what I am pleased to call my mind by the recent decision to double the price of a ticket is the eighteen year old UK National Lottery has always been beyond my comprehension. I mean why? Various orthodox left wing commentary will tell you that it is an act of desperation, but there are plenty of others available. Frankly that is a load of pseudo intellectual tosh.
This is not a complaint about long odds gambling. As a Newbury boy and sometime follower of National Hunt racing that would be hypocritical. If you like that sort of thing, step into your local bookmaker and place your £1 (soon to be £2) on an accumulator. Bet on the 2nd favourite in each race. After 8 wins, stake re-invested, at a conservative 5 to 1 you would have won over £1.5 million.
To de-construct it a little further even a match 3 win is a 54 to 1 shot . This returns £10. WTF! A single win on the accumulator at 5 to 1 means £6 back. I have won many bets at between 5 and 15 to 1 at Newbury, Ascot, and Kempton. I have never won at 50 to 1, but if I ever did I would get £51 back. The lottery is is simply a fraudulent bet. If you play it you are paying a tax on your own stupidity.