Gift Responsibly / Too Young to Bet Campaign

The Gift Responsibly Campaign was founded in the early 2000’s and works to raise public awareness about the risks of youth gambling. Through partnerships with lotteries and other organizations, including past partnership with the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, the campaign is designed to educate communities about the risks of buying lottery tickets for children.

In 2025, NCPG added the “Too Young to Bet” campaign option for participants of the Gift Responsibly Campaign for whom a lottery product message may be less applicable.

The campaign is presented by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and supported by NASPL.

While raising awareness about the dangers of buying or gifting lottery tickets to children is still the primary focus of the Campaign, NCPG has received requests for additional campaign graphics, factsheets, and resources about other types of gambling that may impact children. 

Too Young to Bet was added to the Campaign to make the Gift Responsibly Campaign more accessible to participants who may not find the gift-focused messaging applicable to their culture, country, or audience. While this messaging may occasionally reference lottery products, such as lottery tickets, the ultimate goal is to emphasize that no one type of gambling is acceptable – or safe – for children.

The Gift Responsibly Campaign is primarily designed for lotteries. In 2025, NCPG added the “Too Young to Bet” campaign option for participants of the Gift Responsibly Campaign for whom a lottery product message may be less applicable.

For the last five years, 100% of all eligible U.S. and Canadian lotteries have participated in the campaign. They were joined by a number of international lottery and non-lottery organizations.

In 2025, NCPG elected to make minor changes to the existing campaign levels, such as renaming “Non-Lottery Organizations” to “Community Partners.” This change was introduced in order to emphasize the importance of community partners in support of the campaign’s activities and messaging.

Additionally, the campaign introduced a new level for Non-Lottery Gambling Operators. This change was introduced to allow gambling operators who might not sell a physical lottery product to participate at a commensurate level to lotteries.

Lottery levels 1, 2, and 3 have not changed.

No, NCPG Membership is not required to participate in the Gift Responsibly / Too Young to Bet Campaign.

However, organizations that are not currently NCPG Members are encouraged to join to broaden their knowledge in problem gambling and responsible gambling.

To participate in the Gift Responsibly / Too Young to Bet Campaign, organizations can register online.

There are several levels of engagement for lotteries and other organizations, making it easier for organizations to commit to the level that’s most suitable for them.

Research shows that the earlier a person’s participation or even exposure to gambling is in childhood, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Gambling exposure during childhood is often through some kind of lottery product, given by an adult who is likely unaware of the associated risks.

Your organization’s participation in the Gift Responsibly / Too Young to Bet Campaign will help to raise awareness about the risks of underage gambling. Whether or not it is legal for minors to participate in lottery games or other forms of gambling in your area, a responsible gambling message is always appropriate.

Participants are free to use either toolkit, mix the two, or create their own materials depending on what is most appropriate for their audience.

The Too Young to Bet toolkit is designed to be an option for everyone, as a message about the risks of youth gambling is relevant to all stakeholders – lotteries, community organizations, gambling operators, and more.

The Gift Responsibly Campaign toolkit has been updated for 2025 and is available here. Participants who wish to continue using specific responsible gifting messaging are welcome to use those materials and complete campaign activities as they typically would.

The campaign is presented by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) with support from NASPL. It also receives endorsements from the World Lottery Association (WLA) and European Lotteries (EL).

Youth problem gambling is a growing public health concern. Even though gambling activities are legally restricted to adults, and laws for purchase, play, and redemption vary by state, province, and territory, there is clear evidence that underage youth continue to actively participate in gambling.

• Many young people report their first gambling experience occurs around 9-11 years of age.
• Globally, 17.9% of youth under 18 have gambled in the past 12 months.
• An estimated 159.6 million youth under 18 have gambled on commercial forms of gambling, which are largely age-restricted, in the past 12 months.
• Among youth under 18, online gambling is the second most prevalent form of gambling activity.
• Young males aged 25 and under are more likely to meet the criteria for problem gambling than young females.