Nasrallah: Luck of the draw — Why I love buying lottery tickets

Ottawa Citizen

4 days ago

I started this adventure the first week I arrived in Ottawa in 1980.
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While visiting a convenience store in my neighbourhood in the middle of Ottawa's harsh winter, I decided to purchase a 'Wintario' lottery ticket — which looked mysterious, odd and interesting. I still remember the numbers: 898990.
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Watching the draw for the first time on TV that night was an exercise in exhilaration, anticipation and surprise. The numbers on the screen rolled as follows: 998990. By catching the last five numbers, I won $5,000 — for an investment of $1. That got me through two years of university and managed to make my life a little easier in a new country.
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So I love lotteries. I love to take a chance. Oh, stop — take a deep breath. Do not rush to judgment. I am not talking about a Las Vegas-type of high-life gambling, or a casino-like obsession, or a thousand-dollars-a-day lottery habit.
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I know well the sad stories of people working all day, then heading straight to the casino, or who go gambling or buy lotteries by spending unreasonable amounts. Or the stories of trips that are arranged by casino owners to attract the gullible and make them spend their dollars while treating them with flair, entertainment and phoney hospitality. Usually, the rewards are minimum or non-existent.
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Moreover, the consequences of these deadly habits can be catastrophic to many lives, marriages and the financial well-being of families.
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But I am talking about a different level, smaller scale.
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Overall, the lottery business has benefited both the lucky minority of winners and the overall population in Ontario and Ottawa. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) supports a variety of community projects in Ottawa.
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The city, for instance, says it receives funding annually from OLG, generated from the Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Hard Rock. It is 'placed in (the) City's general revenue account and reinvested in services and initiatives to benefit residents. This year (2024), the City received more than $6 million in support,' the city website says.
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The city goes on to cite examples: 'The Walter Baker Sports Centre had the filtration system for its main, diving and training pools completely overhauled after it reached the end of its lifecycle … To date, Ottawa has received over $106 million in non-tax gaming revenue from OLG since slots gaming has been hosted at the Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Hard Rock.'
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The city has also seen OLG grants in many other recreation infrastructure projects, to name a few: