Government recently introduced a new law to regulate the creation and operation of a national lottery. An older law on this already exists, but the new one adds more details. The idea behind the lottery is that it would be a way for the government to raise revenue — specifically for fighting poverty under the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
However, this report points out there will be negative effects. The lottery will raise more revenue — but this money will mostly come from poorer people. In other words, evidence from around the world has shown that lotteries are a ‘tax on the poor.’ In addition, the lottery would provide another outlet for people suffering from gambling addiction. The bill does not include any mechanisms for helping people deal with their addiction. Finally, there are not enough rules to guarantee that the money raised from the lottery will be spent in a productive way.
