CT Lottery to Offer PC Game

nstrom writes "The Connecticut State Lottery is giving out a PC game (for Windows, presumably) with their new scratch-off lottery tickets which offer a chance of winning $25,000 by playing. This news article from the Hartford Courant mentions that the game might be targeted at children, but there's no mention of any problems involving software cracking, which is what I immediately thought of. I'm sure there are some bored crackers out there who'd tackle this for a chance at some cash. What do you think?"

Comments

I'm waiting for this to come out for PS/2

[cindik]

or Xbox.

Outrageous

[4of12]

I think it's unconscionable that Connecticut is having a lottery offering crack for children to raise cash.

I'm going to call up my radio station immediately and express my opinion about this obscenity.

Re:Outrageous

[arcmay]

I'm sure there are some bored crackers out there who'd tackle this for a chance at some cash.

[In Chris Rock voice:]
Crazy cracker-ass-crackers. They always tryin' to beat the lotto and steal the cash from non-internet havin' brothas. Cracka-ass-crackers!
[End Chris Rock voice]

Lottery: def

[feed_me_cereal]

Lottery
english - noun
def 1. A tax on people who suck at math.

(I admit, stolen from a bumpersticker, but I think it's funny :))

Re:Lottery: def

[The Phantom Buffalo]

Actually it's the way the state gets it's welfare money back.

Re:Lottery: def

[feed_me_cereal]

You make fun of welfare recipients yet you can't spell "its."

That's right! Before we even approach the problem of getting people off of welfare, we need to correct the problem of people occasionally mistakenly using "its" instead of "it's"; for that is the real problem facing America!

spell-checked to avoid the pedantic nit-pickings of spelling/grammar-nazis

Re:Lottery: def

[Anonymous Coward]

getting people off of welfare

Grammar check: Failed... :-)

Re:Lottery: def

[Permission Denied]

Actually it's the way the state gets it's welfare money back....

Before we even approach the problem of getting people off of welfare, we need to correct the problem of people occasionally mistakenly using "its" instead of "it's"; for that is the real problem facing America!

"Occasionally" and "mistakenly" are both adverbs. Stylistic suggestion: "...people occasionally using 'its' instead of 'it's' by mistake...." Also, you may want to insert commas when beginning a sentence with an adverb such as "also" or "actually."

What, I don't get a "70% Funny" like the original poster? We can mock the poor but we can't make light of someone who has not mastered his native language?

For discussion: have you ever visited a casino (especially towards the first of the month)? How do we solve the problem of getting the elderly off of Social Security?

No wait, you don't understand it

[CommieLib]

It's the government doing it, so that means there's nothing wrong with it. Quoth Reverend Lovejoy:

Once something has been approved by the Government, It's no longer immoral.

Of course, it would be wrong for private individuals to run gambling operations, just like it's wrong for individuals to steal...

Play the game enough

[Anonymous Coward]

If I *click* play enough, will I finally be able to *click* hit that *click* stupid *click* monkey.

Many games already do this

[Doctor Sbaitso]

which offer a chance of winning $25,000 by playing

Is it real money... or do they just show your character with a $25,000 cheque and some text that says "You are the winner!" with some cheesy background music?

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

This is only fair.

[Mothra the III]

Camel Joe shouldn't have a monopoly on inappropriate advertising aimed at children. Nice to be able to have a smoke while you are gambling, kids!

Lotto

[telstar]

All you need is a dollar and a dream...

...and Window XP
DirectX 9.0
64 megs of ram
A 3D accelerated video card
A sound card
A mouse
A keyboard

Target: Children

[handy_vandal]

Of course it's targeted at children. Only a child would expect to win the lottery.

"The Lottery: When You Need Millions of Dollars, Right Away!"

Re:Why not? Earn money based on skill

[Lawbeefaroni]

They're probably pre-determined. They state odds, 1 in 260,000. I doubt they can predict people's "skillz." You have no more chance of winning this by skill than you do playing scratch off bingo. You know, "Damn, I was so close, next time I'll scratch off the "B" column first. I can effect the outcome of a pre-printed lottery card..."

another promotional tie-in

[bobdotorg]

How about bundling an X rated video game with a pack of condoms. Name of the game: 'Plan B'.

Thank you!

[spoonist]

Dear Connecticut State Lottery,

I would like to sincerely thank you. For quite some time now, I've wanted to hone my reverse engineering skills to a very fine edge. Lately, though, I have lacked motivation.

For a while, I dabbled in reverse engineering on-line gambling software. However, depositing money in some shady off-shore bank first really put a wet blanket on my enthusiasm.

This announcement has rekindled my desire to expand my reverse engineering capabilities. I look forward to practicing on your software.

Thank you.

-spoonist

Wow...

[TopShelf]

"It's got softer music. It's nonviolent. The action figure is a traveler, not a superhero."

"We don't think that a child would really be interested in playing this game."

Well, at least they understand modern kids!

Re:Wow...

[mcmonkey]

"It's got softer music. It's nonviolent. The action figure is a traveler, not a superhero."
"We don't think that [anyone] would really be interested in playing this game."

CT is making their own version of Sims Online?

nothing to hack

[redfood]

"I'm sure there are some bored crackers out there who'd tackle this for a chance at some cash"

From the article it sounds like the ticket determins if you win money and the game is just window dressing.

From the Courant:
"Customers may choose to forgo the CD and just scratch and turn in their ticket to see if it's a winner"

Why stop there?

[dwdyer]

When you go to withdraw cash, you have the option to buy so many lottery tickets, using funds from your account. If you lose, too bad. But if you win, instant payout.

Heck, why not have an option to receive your Income Tax refund in lottery tickets?

Or maybe a certain percentage of your paycheck? Wait -- they call that stock options.

In other news...

[I Love this Company!]

All you need is a dollar and a dream...

...and Window XP
DirectX 9.0
64 megs of ram

The odds of getting Windows XP to run smoothly with 64MB of RAM are now greater than winning the actual lottery.

This will only end badly.

[unicron]

And in other news, a local hacker was arrested today for hacking into a pigly-wiggly lotto machine. Other local hackers in hysterics.

Re:The difference between lottery and gambling

[Anonymous Coward]

You answered your own question: the skill in bingo is marker management (whether the markers are M&M's or an ink blotter).

Hey, he didn't say it required a lot of skill.

Re:I think it's just an animated "scratch-off"

[loucura!]

I was commenting on the write-up, that states that "crackers" are going to win all the money.

Re:I think it's just an animated "scratch-off"

[lostchicken]

Yeah, but this is Slashdot. Here, we post articles, but don't ever read them. Instead we have debates about what they probably say.