A North Carolina lawmaker is pushing to ban lottery ticket sales for those on welfare or in bankruptcy, a proposal that would affect more than 1.7 million people in the Tar Heel State.

According to the Raleigh News Observer, State Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, a Republican from Wake, said he hopes to bring the proposal during the upcoming legislative session.

“We’re giving them welfare to help them live, and yet by selling them a ticket, we’re taking away their money that is there to provide them the barest of necessities," Stam said.

Stam acknowledged that there were concerns over how the ban might be enforced, especially because lottery clerks may not always be able to tell if lottery players on on government assistance. But in obviously cases, such as when customers use food stamps to buy groceries, they should not be permitted.

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