SOME PERSPECTIVES OF LOTTERY AND GAMBLING

In Arabic/English Dictionary, gambling and lotteries have different word and meanings. LOTTERY in Arabic means “yanasib or qur’atun”, and qura’tun in Hausa language mean “Quria” election or vote, to select pick by balloting. The Arabic word qur’atun can be translated to mean election in that sense too. The Hausa word Quria was derived from the Arabic word qur’atun. In the case of gambling, it is referred to “Maysir” and this is the word with which the Qur’an refers to gambling, when it was prohibited among other things like alcoholic drinks, forecasting and divinity arrows for seeking luck or fortune telling as an abomination orchestrated by the handiwork of Satan. The verse ended with a strict warning to avoid it for one to be successful. Qur’an chapter 5:V90-91 explains it clearly.

SPIRITUAL CONNATION OF LOT / GROUPING OF BIDDINGS OR CONTRACT AWARD TO LOTS

By the word lot, deductions to this shows drawing of lot as transparent and sincere selection of winner or as case may be. It emphasizes on sincerity and honest arrival at a selection point which is acceptable to all, Must come as natural as possible and unmanipulated. The method of contract award is through a process where lot are established in accordance to similar items, equipment and or construction for which contract is to be awarded. The lots are grouped according to the specification of what is to be procured or constructed in time of building and the lots are allotted number such as (lot1, lot2, lot3 ………………………….) At the end of the case lot is won by the bidder with lowest most responsible cost. If the contract process is disposed to use lot process can that be regarded as Gambling?

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LOTERY AND GAMBLING

Lottery has been rendered to be synonymous with gambling which has given it a negative image in some circles, right from centuries back. Lottery however is the drawing of lot for a prize, the whole objective of which is to raise money for projects for a good cause for humanity. It is therefore rather wrong to describe lottery as a form of gambling which connotes nothing than a negation, evil, cheating, and deprivation of others of their hard earned monies or possession. Gambling is precisely risk taking which may eventually end up in loosing out your money or any or all your possessions. It can be explained that gambling or the gambler employed the lot process to push forward dispossession of people of their wealth while LOTTERY on the other side stand as a way of raising the welfare standard of the people through drawing lots to raise monies to improve and support the good cause and welfare project for humanity. However it is worthy to note that a Gambler can claim to be operating Lottery while actually what he is doing is a clear cut Gambling. A staff should be able to distinguish a lottery operation from gambling as Gambler copies an apply also the lot process. The lot process is a way by which transparently a choice is made or a selection is arrived at, and impartially the winner is also picked. The lot has so many procedures. It can positively be applied or negatively applied. If corruption appears, it may become like Gambling where the accrued money is not used for the purpose for which it was gathered to help the poor people.

HISTORY USE AND APPLICATION OF LOTERIES

In several countries, like CHINA/ROME 205 & 187 B.C, ENGLAND 1566-1826, AUSTRALIA, CANADA 1967, FRANCE 1505, NEW ZEALAND, EARLY AMERICAN 1612-1900 etc. are the fundamental in lotteries industry and are legalized by the government themselves. Several on-line lotteries and traditional lotteries with online payments exist. In the on-line lotteries, the user has to select their number and must either watch and for a few seconds before the selection is confirmed, or click on a web banner/link to register the pick in the system. The numbers may be drawn by the site that runs the online lottery or might be linked to major physical lottery draw to ensure reliability. Prize money ranges from $100,000 to $100 million.

OBJECTIVES BEHIND GAMBLING AND LOTERIES

Further demonstration can be made if the objective and intention for undertaking lottery is looked into compare to gambling. The motives differs and those involved are distinct even though individuals involve in gambling may claim they are into lotteries. The Government has it as an obligation to raise money to Govern and provide amenities for its citizens. It is the one that is suppose to engage in lottery and not individual, except the individual serve as a worker or agent of Government it can be a corporate body or an agency such as: Lottery Regulatory Commission or National Lottery Trust Fund in the case of Nigeria. Other countries have such similar Agencies which may directly bear the name lottery or a different name with an assignment to serve as agent or directly draw Lots to raise money to bring good cause, project, social welfare, education etc for the population. As for Gambling, this is an individual or group of persons forming a private organization to dispossess innocent citizen of their hard earned money where also they may apply Lot system to perfect their deceitful and nefarious activities. This is outright cheating of the masses and the Nation.

BENEFITS OF LOTTERY

If Gambling is critically analyzed, the disadvantages far out weight the advantages considering one person dispossess million of people of their wealth and sending them into penury. Such game as Ludo, scrabble etc, when money is not added to the game open the door to enemity of the loser against the winner and time was always wasted. When money is added to it thus become a full blown Gambling which attracts greater risk of been completely dispossessed, this is not good at all. This is not the same case for lottery, which is intended to raise monies for societal development and or raising the welfare of the people or the Governing of a Nation. A typical example today is Niger Republic, Ghana, South Africa, United kingdom etc.

OUR WORLD IS A DUAL WORLD

Our world is a dual world - a world of 'material things', and a world of 'inner meanings'. When one raises oneself to a level where material things become secondary and inner meanings become of prime importance, then one is a spiritual person. When a scientist discover the scientific world, he doesn’t leave the material world, but rather stays here, studies and makes discoveries in this very world. Spirituality is also a science. Consequently, in spiritual science the same method is valid, i.e. undergoing spiritual experiences while remaining in the material world. Spirituality, in fact, is a process of converting our everyday material events into spiritual experiences. While living his social life, man is affected by events, which trigger negative thoughts such as malice, lust, anger, arrogance, greed, etc. But when man raises himself above his immediate surroundings, i.e. from the material level to a higher level of thinking, he experiences real spirituality. At this elevated level, man is able to eradicate his negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. In this state, he learns to convert non-spiritual matters into spiritual matters. This is the principle on which the entire material world is based. It may be called the principle or art of conversion. For instance, let us take the case of water. Two gases separately are not water, but, when they combine and convert into another form, they take the form of water. The same is true of the tree. A tree is, in fact, the result of the conversion of non-botanical matter. The cow provides another such example. The cow ingests not milk, but grass. Then by means of a biological process, this grass is converted into milk. That is to say, the cow is an industry, which converts non-milk into milk. All these processes use the principle of conversion. In the same way contemplative spirituality through the principle of conversion makes man spiritual. This can be understood through the following example. It is said that once a young man met an elderly person, who was devoutly spiritual. The young man took umbrage at something the elderly person had said to him and kicked him in the chest. This was an incident of a gravely negative nature. But the old man converted this negative experience into a positive one by responding with these words: "I hope your gentle foot was not hurt by my hard stony chest." This is an example of a truly spiritual person. Spirituality activates that intellectual process which is necessary for the development of one's personality. Indeed, spirituality is the greatest source of crises management. A spiritual person can hear every loss, for he feels that any loss, which is material in nature, is always far less in comparison to what he still has in his possession in terms of spirituality and that is a treasure that no one can take away from him. True spirituality, an intellectual activity, is a science of inner development and material things indirectly contribute towards that development. In fact, material life is made more meaningful by the proactive role played by spirituality in intellectual refinement and the consequent process of humanity. Spirituality does not, as some may imagine, arrest the thinking process, but rather enhances intellectual activity in the complete sense of the world. In short, true spirituality or contemplative spirituality makes a man a superman.

MAN DOES NOT STAND ALONE

Julian Huxley, (1887-1975) the well-known British writer, did not believe in God. He believed that man did not need God, a concept explained in his aptly titled book: Man Stands Alone. It is noteworthy that a reputed American scientist, Cressy Morrison, countered Huxley’s thesis with a book titled: Man Does Not Stand Alone. Even more so today, many people express the view that they do not need God; that success can be theirs without their believing in the Almighty. But if you conduct a survey, you will find that their views do not reflect mature perception. In fact, such remarks are spawned by immature minds mostly belonging to the under forty-age group. Psychological and biological studies show that human beings attain maturity only after reaching middle age. Prior to this, they are not in a position to form any sound opinions on the realities of life. Surveys show, indeed, that superficial remarks about God are made mostly by those who are as yet immature. But with the transition from immaturity, which comes with the acquisition of experience and knowledge, a great number of people, including atheists and apostates, become serious in their approach to the subject of God. A thinker has aptly said: A smattering of knowledge turns people away from God. Greater knowledge brings them back to Him. Here are a few examples to illustrate this point. Let us take the case of a youth who, having grown up with romantic ideas, enthusiastically enters into matrimony by opting for a “love marriage”. But very soon this love turns to hate and the couple ultimately separate. Then the husband realizes that his acceptance of love as the “summum bonum” was the result of his own immaturity. Consciously or unconsciously, he begins to feel that his perception has not been clear enough to understand life in depth and that a superior guide is required to compensate for his inexperience. Then there is the example of an ambitious businessman who starts a business. His business goes on expanding until a time comes when it becomes unmanageable. Now he realizes that certain personal limitations bar him from fulfilling his desires and ambitions. He comes to feel that he needs a vaster world in order to realize his dreams. Similarly, yet another youth forms a political party in order to fulfill his ambitions, and a time comes when he finally contrives to secure an important political niche for himself. But then he meets the fate similar to the one faced by Jawaharlal Nehru. Like Nehru, after he is elevated to the position of Prime Minister of India, he suffers from second thoughts. He feels that there exists a far greater power than himself and that, without the cooperation of this power; he cannot carry his plan into effect. Most young people enter life with great ambitions. But again and again they undergo such experiences as remind them of their helplessness. Disease, accidents, losses, and disadvantages – all these repeatedly remind them that their lot in life is one of unfulfilled desires. Then they see that, however great one’s material success, one inevitably dies within the span of 100 years, leaving all one’s wealth behind. Such bitter reflection shows that all the sweet dreams of childhood and youth stemmed from ignorance. For it is impossible to have complete fulfillment in this present imperfect world. One’s goal in life – whether it be the making of money, the acquisition of fame or power, or anything else of this nature- proves less than ideal. After the individual manages to achieve these things, he again suffers from the feeling that whatever he has achieved falls far below his expectations. Thus he remains as unsatisfied as ever. Finding success becomes as meaningless as not finding it. In this way, in the course of daily life, a feeling of helplessness comes over man. This helplessness can be compared with the kind of helplessness that he experiences after the observation of the universe through a telescope.