Look at me! I'm gambling!

Some folks have argued if Touch Play lottery machines are removed from grocery stores then candy should be removed as well since junk food can be just as addictive as gambling.

Sucker for Snickers

Umm...okay...let's indulge stupidity for a moment and debate that point.

Candy is not a controlled substance or part of a state regulated industry. Duh!

Gee - that didn't take long. Yes - I realize the letter-to-the-editor I referenced was written tongue-in-cheek but it's still a really stupid analogy and therefore worthy of ridicule.

What about beer and cigarettes? They are certainly controlled substances, are regulated by the state and sold in grocery stores.

Good point. Let’s discuss.

When you buy a 6-pack of beer you are not ushered into a roped off area within the store to drink it accompanied by flashing lights and sound effects that scream, "Look at me! I'm drinking BEER!" The same is true for cigarettes. You purchase your beer and you leave. You buy your cancer sticks and you leave. And as long as you don't drink your beer walking down the street or driving your car, or light up in a smoke free area nobody cares what you do. And that's how it used to be with lottery tickets until some dope decided to put Touch Play machines in grocery stores. With Touch Play machines, people don’t leave. The stand there and can play as long as their money holds out.

Cigarettes - when was the last time you saw a cigarette dispensing machine? Are you even old enough to remember seeing cigarette dispensing machines? And why don't we have cigarette dispensing machines any more (except for maybe in bars)? Because we couldn't effectively prevent minors from purchasing the cigarettes.

Can people still indulge their smokey treat habit? Why yes they can! They can go to any gas station or grocery store and walk up to the counter and choose from a variety of tobacco products, assuming they can prove they are of legal age.

Did businesses lose money when they had to remove their cigarette dispensing machines? Maybe, maybe not. The loss was at most minimal since stores can still sell cigarettes over the counter.

Touch Play machines have barely been in service a year. It's not like they've been making money hand over fist for the last 10 years. If you take the machines out, businesses will still be able to sell lottery tickets. A simple solution is if the machines are banned the businesses could write the cost of the machines off as a business loss on their state taxes.

If the Iowa Legislature bans Touch Play machines, it just means you have to go to the customer service counter to buy your lottery ticket just like you would cigarettes. Remember - the decision being made isn't to ban the lottery, it's essentially to regulate the distribution of lottery tickets.

UPDATE: Vilsack says he'll sign TouchPlay ban next week
Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth commence.