april was financial literacy month

saw this on the metro the other day:

For every dollar spent on a lottery ticket, how much is taken by the government and not paid to the players?

10 cents

20 cents

40 cents

60 cents

april 2006 was financial literacy month. see: www.econ4u.com

Correct Answer: 40 cents
This money is used to pay for a number of things that vary by state. Typically, a portion of the money goes to public schools in the state. 40% is a very high percentage of revenue taken by the “house” in any given “game of chance.” Casinos, for example, typically take only 1-6% of money wagered in slot machines as profit.

now i don’t play the lottery, but if i did i’d stop. as a taxpayer, why would i want to give 40% more of whatever i play on lottery to the government?