News

#GiftResponsibly

12.08.16Keith Whyte

Lottery Tickets Aren’t Child’s Play

Record 57 Lotteries Participate in Holiday Responsible Gaming Campaign to Remind Customers to Please Remember to Gift Lottery Products Responsibly This Holiday Season

Washington, DC, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Lottery tickets may be fun-filled and exciting presents, but they are not suitable gifts for minors. Studies suggest that gambling is a popular yet risky activity among youth. Additionally, researchers have reported a correlation between age of gambling onset and problem gambling later in life. Lottery play is sometimes an initial introduction to gambling activities for minors.

This research along with a growing concern about adolescent problem gambling prompted the development of the Holiday Lottery Campaign. This annual responsible gambling campaign is aimed at increasing public awareness about the impact of gifting lottery products to minors. It is a collaborative initiative between McGill University’s Youth Gambling Centre, the U.S. National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and more than 50 lottery corporations around the globe.

“Playing the lottery at a young age can increase the potential for problem gambling later in life” said Jeffrey Derevensky, Director of McGill University’s Youth Gambling Centre. “We welcome the collaborative efforts of lottery corporations worldwide to help raise awareness about this issue. Together we can make a difference in preventing underage gambling and gambling problems.”

NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte explained that it’s vital to raise awareness because research shows that some problem gamblers report beginning gambling during childhood – as early as 9-10 years of age. “The Holiday Campaign is a great way to encourage responsible gambling and help keep the fun in the holidays by gifting lottery tickets responsibly to adults.”

The Holiday Lottery campaign is endorsed by the World Lottery Association, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) and the European Lottery Association (EL), highlighting the global reach of the campaign.  Keith Whyte said, “We believe responsible gambling is a positive approach to minimizing gambling-related harm and therefore maximizing public benefit. We are proud to work with WLA, NASPL and the EL and 57 participating lotteries—a record number this year.”  See complete list of 2016 participants here.2016-holiday-campaign-press-release