?>=> esc_html__( 'Footer Widget Area - Left', 'neel' ), 'id' => 'neel-footer-widget-area-left', 'description' => esc_html__( 'Add widgets here.', 'neel' ), 'before_widget' => '', 'before_title' => '
'. wp_kses_post( wp_trim_words( get_the_excerpt(), $limit) ) .'
'; } } /** * Custom template tags for this theme. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/template-tags.php'; /** * Custom functions that act independently of the theme templates. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/extras.php'; /** * Default valudes for customizer options. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/defaults.php'; /** * Custom Header Addition. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/custom-header.php'; require get_template_directory() . '/inc/sanitize-functions.php'; require get_template_directory() . '/inc/customizer-functions.php'; /** * Customizer additions. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/customizer.php'; /** * Customizer Upgrade to Pro Section. */ require get_template_directory() . '/inc/upsell/class-customize.php'; ?>{"id":1008,"date":"2023-12-06T15:53:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woomibbq.com\/?p=1008"},"modified":"2023-12-06T15:53:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:53:05","slug":"what-is-a-lottery-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woomibbq.com\/what-is-a-lottery-12\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Lottery?"},"content":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n
A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random to determine winners. Prizes can range from cash to goods or services. The games are usually run by states, although private businesses also offer them. Lottery participants may be required to pay a small entry fee in order to participate, with a percentage of the total pool normally going towards administrative costs and profits for the organizers or state sponsors.<\/p>\n
People are often attracted to lotteries because of the perceived chance of a large jackpot prize. In some cases, the prize money may be enough to provide a substantial life change or even a complete financial makeover. However, the chances of winning a lottery are actually quite slim and people should consider the risks before playing.<\/p>\n
Lotteries have a long history, with the casting of lots being used for everything from making decisions to determining fates in ancient Rome (Nero loved them) and throughout the Bible. However, the use of lotteries for material gain is more recent. In the 17th and 18th centuries, lottery play was widespread in the colonies; Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to fund the colony of Pennsylvania, John Hancock ran one to help build Boston\u2019s Faneuil Hall, and George Washington sponsored a lottery to raise funds to build a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains.<\/p>\n
In modern times, lottery plays have become a common practice in most states and the prizes have grown enormously. While many argue that the large jackpot prizes attract people and increase revenue, others are concerned that the huge amounts of money draw in bad elements and encourage irresponsible spending. The lottery has also been found to be regressive, with lower income groups playing more than higher income ones.<\/p>\n
The arguments for and against lotteries typically center on the concept of utilitarianism, which argues that individuals should choose actions or policies that produce the most overall good. The popularity of lottery is often tied to this philosophy, with states claiming that their lotteries allow people to spend their money voluntarily on the state\u2019s behalf, thus freeing up other taxpayers\u2019 funds for public expenditures. However, studies have shown that the relative benefits of different expenditures are not necessarily related to the size of a state\u2019s lottery revenues.<\/p>\n
Aside from arguing that the proceeds of lotteries benefit society, supporters also emphasize that they are an excellent source of \u201cpainless\u201d revenue. This argument is particularly effective in times of economic stress, when states are facing the prospect of increased taxes or cuts to popular programs. However, lottery popularity remains high in times of prosperity as well, as long as the benefits are seen to be specific and tangible. This message may be reinforced by the fact that lottery proceeds are often earmarked for education, since this is seen as an investment in future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random to determine winners. Prizes can range from cash to goods or services. The games are usually run by states, although private businesses also offer them. Lottery participants may be required to pay a small entry fee in order to participate, with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gambling"],"yoast_head":"\n
'; for($i=1; $i<=4; $i++ ){ $social_media_icon[$i] = get_theme_mod( 'neel_social_media_icon_'.$i, 'facebook-f' ); $social_media_url[$i] = get_theme_mod( 'neel_social_media_url_'.$i, '' ); //find the fontawesome icon class if( in_array( $social_media_icon[$i], $fas_elements ) ){ $icon_class[$i] = 'fas'; } else { $icon_class[$i] = 'fab'; } if ( '' !== $social_media_url[$i] ) : $social_media_icons_html .= '-
';
endif;
} //for loop end
$social_media_icons_html.= '