Editorial: State lottery, minus Benz, lingers as true scandal

A political dustup billowed over the weekend when it was reported that the Washington State Lottery Commission had purchased a $49,000 van to promote the state’s gambling, er, gaming options.

It’s true. Not only that, but the commission was prepared to spend as much as $75,000 more to transform this Lottomobile – made by Mercedes-Benz! – into a rolling arcade/office that would visit public events, sell tickets and instruct people on how to play the various games.

“Oh no you didn’t!” said Gov. Chris Gregoire, or words to that effect, and on Monday she ordered the van to be returned to the dealer. Her actual words were:

“I believe the purchase is inappropriate for state government and I am thereby directing you to sell the van and ensure that you recoup all costs,” she wrote in a letter to the state Lottery Director Bill Hanson. “Taxpayers expect value for every state dollar, and an expensive, customized sales van doesn’t meet the standards of value set by me and the public.”

Lottery spokesman Arlen Harris agreed, saying: “The purchase of a Mercedes just flies in the face of the citizens’ expectations.”

So, with the key players in agreement, this rapid response to a public perception nightmare can be put to bed. But it doesn’t change the fact that the state still routinely peddles games of chance. The money to prod people to gamble comes from Lottery profits, not general revenue. So the money not spent on the Mercedes will probably be spent on other promotions, such as media ads or the Learn to Lottery website, where neophytes are given handy instructions. Lottery research has shown that some people are reluctant to play because they don’t know the games.

Lottery supporters are fond of pointing out that proceeds go to higher education and military members. A new game called Hometown Heroes is billed as a raffle to help military members who are returning from wars. Those are worthy causes, but states ought to raise revenue for them without enticing people to gamble.

This is no better than government handing out cigarettes in the hopes of hooking people, so that government can collect more tax dollars.

The scandal isn’t buying a Mercedes. It’s the fact that a state with an already regressive tax structure is pushing long-odds gambling while knowing that it is low-income people who will most likely pay up.

The state should be pushing better values, not a better value.