Ethics refers to the principles of morality that define how a person should behave or act during involvement in a particular undertaking. Ethics is multifaceted as there are various ways through which morality is defined. For instance, avoidance of murder is a universal rule that states that living is a human right. Ethics may also be defined in terms of the rules that guide behavior. The Ten Commandments, for instance, are used by Christians to reinforce or forbid some behaviors. In business, ethics is an important aspect in determining the sustainability of a firm’s endeavors. Advertising is one way through which businesses go against the prerequisites of morality. Through advertising, the end consumer is made to believe that various goods and/or services align with their preferences and desires. After purchasing the advertised items, the consumers at times gets disappointed on confirmation that some of the aspects promoted in the advertisement are fabrication aimed at just attracting the consumer for the benefit of the manufacturing firm or service provider. When it comes to lottery, the service provider aims at attracting as many people as possible to engage in monetary plays in order to make profits for the firm involved. Lotto is one of such examples. Those people who choose to engage in lottery do so in the hopes that they will at one time win a prize or some cash, the greatest target being a million. Though there are people who win the cash and prizes as per the advertisements, the fact is that not everyone wins. Lottery is a business that is not going to end soon as both the company and state governments involved reap huge benefits. Becoming a millionaire is the greatest dream of the players involved. Only a few individuals end up being winners. In my opinion, however, there is no one lottery that can make everyone a millionaire as per the claims made in various advertisements.
In this task, the connection between ethics and lottery advertisements that claim the probability of making everyone a millionaire will be explored. Whether it is possible to make everyone a millionaire or ethical to make such claims and state the same as the purpose remains an issue of controversy. This controversy is what this task aims at solving.
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The Millionaires’ Creation Fallacy
The lottery firms run several advertisements in a bid to attract consumers to engage in gambling endeavors. One of the most prominent claims is that: “we won’t stop until we make everyone a millionaire.” The sports’ gamble has become one of the most popular gambles in the world with various firms assuring people of the possibility of winning huge amounts of cash if they make accurate bets. There are Jackpots and Megajackpots that promise several millions for persons who make accurate bets for pre-determined games (Australian Sports Commission, 2017). The notion of picking six numbers from a pool of several numbers and then one lucky number from the pool of one to nine is another tactical gamble being utilized by various lottery firms, including sports. While the six numbers were formally picked from the pool of one to 49, the game has been changed to include the numbers one to 59. According to analysts and statisticians, the probability of a gambler becoming a millionaire through accurate identification of the six numbers from the pool of one to 49 plus one lucky digit was one in every 14 million gamblers. The probability of winning a million by picking six numbers from one to 59 and one lucky number changes to one in every 45 million participants ( The Telegraph, 2015). The implication is that lottery can never make everyone a millionaire. Though there are a few millionaires made from lottery engagements, the notion of making everyone a millionaire is just a fallacy aimed at making billions of dollars from the lottery firms and the state governments.
Ethics and Advertisements
In my opinion, I would say that it is not ethical for a lottery firm to state that its purpose is to make everyone a millionaire. As Salehi, Saeidinia and Aghaei (2012) argue, the adverts of the modern times are aimed at creating rather than fulfilling needs. Taking into consideration that gambling is a win and lose game, it is only good if the lottery firm informs the participants that becoming a millionaire is a matter of luck. Actually, the strictness of the terms involved has seen some winners declared as losers just because a ticket with which to claim the prize was not traceable. This happened with a U.K. couple that had accurately identified six lucky numbers in a lottery connected to the Camelot Company (Allen, 2016). In making the statement about making everyone a millionaire, the lottery firm should state clearly that it is a probability rather than a guarantee.
Summary and Conclusion
Generally, ethics is a prerequisite in day to day life and business sustainability. It offers the benchmark through which to determine the actions or reactions in a given situation. It may be considered as a set of rules stipulating how to behave. Though lottery is an acceptable business endeavor, it would be appropriate for the firms involved to be ethical in stating their purpose. It is not ethical to align the purpose with the notion of making everyone a millionaire as some people who have won the millions have at times lost due to lost tickets. The unethical nature of the statement is also founded on the fact that winning is based on luck. It is never a guarantee but a probability that one will win by participating. As such, the advertisers should ensure that the notion of probability is well articulate rather than using lies to reinforce the agenda of attracting more participants for the sake of boosting the firm’s profits.
References
Allen, P. (2016, Jan 6). Couple who won and lost lottery millions. Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk on 5/6/2017.
Australian Sports Commission (2017). Sports Lottery Funding. Retrieved from https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au on 5/6/2017.
Salehi, M., Saeidinia, M. & Aghaei, M. (2012). Business ethics. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2 (1), 1-5.
The Telegraph (2015, June 16). Lottery change: Is it now easier to become a millionaire? Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk on 5/6/2017.
