THE GAMBLING CURSE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—As your article says, an Act should be passed quickly to suppress Tote Clubs. Let the Government at the same time effect a moral reform and gain a source of revenue.
Let lotteries, at any rate such as may be approved by a censor, be legalized, and stamped tickets sold for them. Let the back of each ticket state plainly ; " The total sum will be divided into three equal parts ; one will be retained by the Government as a tax for the Revenue ; one will be given to the hospital or charity for which the lottery is promoted ; and one-third will be divided among the holders of the tickets." The holders therefore (though each of them will have the chanoe of winning a fortune or a substantial sum, are certain on the average to lose heavily. But they will have the satisfaction of having helped the charity or hospital, of having contributed to the revenue of their country, and of having had the chance, though only a slight one, of receiving
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