All registered voters in state of Tennessee have the privilege on Nov. 5 to decide if a state lottery should be implemented or not.

What are the pros and cons of a state lottery being implemented in Tennessee? The following reasons are just a few of them:

Pros: • A state lottery would bring money into Tennessee.
• A lottery would be one of the answers to Tennessee’s pressing financial problems • There's a good possibility that a new state lottery would bring scholarships to college students in Tenn. For example, in Georgia if a college student has a 3.0 GPA he or she receives a full scholarship to a state school in Georgia. • People would look for entertainment in Tennessee rather than going to Kentucky, Missouri, or Mississippi, therefore taking money that could have been utilized by the state. • Tennessee’s sales tax would possibly be lowered if the lottery passes.

Cons: • The lottery, in reality, is not a “quick fix” to Tennessee’s financial problems • The lottery would promote gambling people's “get rich quick” fantasies • States with lotteries, for the most part, have high bankruptcy rates. • A large majority of lottery winners do not know how to handle their newly found wealth and are taken advantage of or go bankrupt. • The lottery and/or gambling goes against some moral persuasions.

These are only a few of the pros and cons of bringing the lottery to Tennessee. Whatever your opinion, it will depend on which voters went to the polls to vote for it or against it. The voters have the power to decide what will happen with the lottery, so whatever your stance is on the lottery, let it be known on Nov. 5 by voicing your opinion with your vote.