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It’s nice to know it’s not always a dog-eat-dog world. Sometimes it’s a dogs-eat-lottery-ticket world —with a tail-wagging (well, $8) ending.

Read on for a tale of what happens when two dogs eat an Oregon lottery ticket…

Doggie dateline: the bones of the story

It was a night much like any other no-lottery-ticket-involved night. Salem residents Nathan and Rachael Lamet went to bed, unintentionally leaving a $3 ticket for the Pharaoh’s Gold Crossword game on an ottoman.

That’s when 11-month-old Apple and 2-year-old Jax, the couple’s two Alaskan Klee Kais (smaller dogs that resemble Huskies) got into some mischief. The dogs decided the ticket was delicious, Rachael said.

Surprisingly, the pups didn’t eat the whole ticket but left some of it in tiny shredded pieces on the floor. The Lamets discovered the lottery ticket remains the next morning. Nathan found it hilarious and thought, “someone might get a good laugh at the least,” Rachael said. “He said for sure it’s a winner.”

So the Lamets sent a letter and the pieces of the torn-apart ticket to the Oregon State Lottery. They included a photo of the dogs, though it wasn’t quite a police “mutt shot,” if you will; the Lamets wanted the Lottery folk to see how cute the “vandals” were.

The letter read, in part:

“To whom it may concern: We have two Alaskan Klee Kai puppys (sic) that we dearly love. Unfortunately, they decided that they like the taste of your lottery tickets. So we write to you in regards to see if there is by some chance you may be able to see if they ate the winning ticket.”

Officials there approached the situation like a puzzle, doggedly attempting to piece the ticket back together.

And despite the Lamets thinking the ticket unsalvageable, they succeeded and it turned out the ticket was an $8 winner. The Lottery sent the Lamets a check for that amount.

And after everything was settled, the Oregon State Lottery advised the public in a press release to “above all, make sure the ticket is out of reach of any furry friends!”

Kooky canine connoisseurs

No dog has ever barked, “Do I look fat in this?” As everyone knows, dogs will eat pretty much anything — and everything. Shoes are just an amuse-bouche to Beagles and Great Danes.

When I was a teenager, my vacuum cleaner of a Cocker Spaniel ate my driver’s manual, a pin cushion, and an ink cartridge, all in one nosh. He remained fine.

When visiting some out-of-state friends years later, their lively Wire-haired Fox Terrier, Penny, got into my bag while we were out to dinner and ate my newly acquired bite guard plus my toothbrush.

Here are some wacky things dogs have eaten, by way of BarkHappy.com and IHeartDogs.com:

• A bag of cement
• Books
• Chapstick
• A Bible
• A couch
• Three cell phones
• A diamond ring
• Box of crayons
• A computer mouse

The dogs in question were okay, although some required (expensive) vet care.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
― Josh Billings

The Oregon Lottery celebrated a milestone according to a July 2022 report. The report showed that the lottery made a net profit of $968 million in 2021. Its highest mark since the organization started in 1984.

It’s also 33% higher than 2019’s profit, which is the second-largest year in lottery history.

Oregon Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann said this about the milestone year:

“It’s what the mission of the lottery is, to earn a maximum profit for the state, but commensurate with the public good.”

But it’s important to consider the notion that lottery games are more widely available to Oregon gamblers in low-income areas.

Where is the Oregon Lottery the most profitable?

Multnomah County, located in eastern Oregon, accounted for three of the 10 most profitable lottery retailers in Beaver State.

A Howard Center for Investigative Journalism study revealed there are 17 lottery retailers in an area of Multnomah in which the median household income is $17,704. The county’s overall median household income is $72,425.

The top earner was the Tik Tok Restaurant and Bar. The bar is in an area where the average income is less than half compared to the county average.

The second-highest earner is Darcy’s in Wood Village, which is also in a low-income area.

Rounding out the top three is Dotty’s #24 on Hayden Island. Here, the average income is higher but tourism from Washington is high. And Oregon’s neighbors to the north prohibit video lottery games.

Studies continuously support lottery profits booming in low-income areas

Congress enacted the National Gambling Impact Study in 1996, and the group predicted the high levels of lottery gaming in poor areas.

Kitty Martz, executive director of Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery, had this to about the issues:

“We’ve always known that lotteries disproportionately impact marginalized individuals, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) individuals, older adults, and veterans.”

Martz also mentioned that many of the people in the groups she highlighted are recipients of government spending. Victims of problem gambling often find themselves utilizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As well as Oregon’s Health Plan benefits.

“It’s an absolute redistribution of money from people who are marginalized to support these bonds to support the more privileged people of Oregon. It’s a regressive tax on the poor.”

But Baumann said the reason lottery gaming is more accessible in low-income areas is due to cheaper real estate expenses for retail shop owners. Not because the Oregon Lottery targets specific communities. He said:

“It’s going to be more expensive to have a storefront in downtown Portland than it is in downtown Gresham or the outer reaches of Portland itself.”

Oregon state relies heavily on lottery taxes

Oregon’s only source of income that’s bigger than lottery gaming is income taxes.

The state utilizes lottery income to fund:

• Public schools
• Outdoor School
• Veteran Services
• State park renovations

The Lottery also distributes funds to legislators so they can make improvements in the community.

Rep. Marty Wilde said the state’s high dependence on the lottery dollars could have a negative impact if any protective reform is implemented. As that would limit the improvement projects legislators could implement in their communities.

Wilde commented:

“Not only would we not have all those budget sweeteners in terms of lottery bond projects, but we’d probably have to subsidize the existing bonds from funds of some kind. So it really prevents us from making thoughtful decisions.”

Wilde is an advocate of calling for a moratorium on lottery bonds until a thorough investigation can be done on the impact gambling has on marginalized people. He also noted the most addicting games are also the most profitable and the games should be examined.

Wilde continued:

“I’m not anti-gambling, but I think we should have games that are more protected and don’t let people get in over their head before they realize it.”