最近美国有6个州推出了“视频彩票”，这种新玩法和传统彩票相比更近似于赌场老虎机。这些州无一例外的都以敛财有术而闻名，批评家们把这类彩票称作是“视频毒品”。

　　批评家们对2007年全国彩票53%的返奖比率也进行了指责，认为这一比率过高。但一些有开出大奖的州还是提高了自己的最高获奖额。马萨诸塞州就将自己47亿彩票总销售额的72%作为奖金返还，但该州的彩票利润仍有9亿1300万，依旧全国第一。

　　那些反对彩票的人则联合一些宗教团体（这些团体原则上就是禁止博彩的）提出了反贫穷的主张。（他们声称彩票利用了那些没受过多少教育的低收入公民，把他们变成了彩票最忠实的拥趸）

　　更多的彩票种类和更大的发行数量——因为经济危机，税收直线下降，一些州希望通过提高彩票利润或者开发多种新型彩票以增加地方财政的资金弥补财政短缺。现在已经有17个州将全部的彩票资金都划归到教育部门掌控之下；而至少有17个州把他们全部或部分的彩票收入注入地方财政帐目。

　　各州彩票的私营化——包括德克萨斯和伊利诺斯在内的几个州的立法委员最近提出了一些法案，这些法案试图将彩票经营权租赁给私人公司。租期为30年或者更长，至于租金，在一些人口较多的州有可能增加到100亿美元之多。法案的反对者则担心私人公司会借此推出一些更易使人沉迷的彩票种类。而且这样的趋势是否合法都还不能确定：在十月份时，美国司法部对印第安纳和新泽西州正在审议的博彩业私人租赁协议提出警告，认为这样的协议有可能触犯了联邦法律。

　　世界性的博彩——现在世界各地的彩民们大部分可以在网上购买彩票，这使得创立一种新型的多国同时出售的彩票成为可能。而这也是美国州际乐透彩资深主任查斯特拉特的宏大目标，他希望能在2011年推出一个全球性的彩票。

　　正反观点：

　　“有许多人对机率这个东西很疯狂。但我们的大脑并没有古怪到能了解五十万分之一和五千万分之一的差别是什么。”

　　——基思怀特，全国赌博问题协会常务董事

　　“那些经常买彩票的人知道他们是否经常中奖。如果你每周买5美元并且三个月一次未中，那么你就应该戒彩了。”

　　——马克卡瓦诺，马萨诸塞州彩票中心执行理事

　　“彩票被描绘成不用投资和存钱就可以发财的捷径。这让人禁不住要去购买它。”

　　——比尔布鲁克斯，北卡罗莱纳家庭政策理事会主席

　　“我们不希望看到任何人以超出自己平均水平的标准进行消费。所以我们举办了一个‘理性购彩’的活动，活动的口号就是‘要中奖，你只需要一张彩票’。”

　　——鲍比海斯，德克萨斯彩票中心发言人

　　译文：

　　Six state lotteries have introduced video lottery machines that are closer in spirit to casino slot machines than traditional lottery games. Not coincidentally, these states typically rake in more profits. Critics call them “video crack.”

　　Critics also claim that too much of the lottery's take goes back out as prizes-about 53 percent nationwide in 2007. But some of the states that pay out the best prizes also raise the most money. Massachusetts pays out about 72 percent of its $4.7 billion in ticket sales but still earns $913 million in profits, among the highest of any state.

　　Opposition to the games has allied some religious groups (who oppose gambling on principle) with antipoverty advocates (who say lotteries take advantage of less educated, lower-income players, who are among the most faithful customers).

　　Forward Thinking

　　More and bigger games—With tax revenues plummeting in the recession, look for some states to try to hike their lottery income or to channel more of it into the general fund to offset shortfalls. Seventeen states currently devote all lottery funds to education; at least 17 others funnel all or part of their lottery money into the general fund.

　　Privately run state lotteries—Legislators in several states—including Texas and Illinois—have introduced bills to "lease" to private companies the right to run the lottery. A lease of 30 years or more would likely raise as much as $10 billion for bigger states. Opponents worry that private operators will introduce more addictive games. And it's not even clear such a gambit would be legal: In October, the U.S. Justice Department warned that private leasing deals under consideration in Indiana and New Jersey would likely violate federal laws.

　　A world lottery—Players in many parts of the world can already buy lottery tickets online. One possibility: a game available simultaneously in many countries. That's the goal of Chuck Strutt, the longtime director of the multistate Powerball game, who hopes to roll out a global game by 2011.

　　The Back-and-Forth

　　"Many people [have] terrible ideas about the odds. Our brains are just not wired to understand the difference between 500,000 to 1 and 50 million to 1."

　　--Keith Whyte, executive director, National Council on Problem Gambling

　　"People who play regularly know whether they win regularly. If you buy a $5 ticket once a week and haven't won for three months, you're going to drop the habit."

　　--Mark Cavanaugh, executive director, Massachusetts Lottery

　　"Lotteries are being billed as a way to get wealth without saving and investing. It creates compulsive gamblers."

　　--Bill Brooks, president, North Carolina Family Policy Council

　　"We don't want to see anybody overspend their means. We have a 'play responsibly' campaign that says 'You only need one ticket to win.'"

　　--Bobby Heith, spokesman, Texas Lottery