NCPG, State Lotteries Working To Discourage Gifting Tickets To Children
‘Too Young to Bet’ added this year to annual ‘Gift Responsibly’ holiday season campaign
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December is here, Thanksgiving leftovers are (mostly) gone, and it’s time to figure out what gifts you’re purchasing — not only for your closest loved ones, but also for assorted Pollyanna parties, for the mail carrier, for the kids’ teachers, and so on.
One timeless tradition is the gift of lottery tickets.
They can be inexpensive, they can generate excitement, and they can be appropriate in a variety of situations for a variety of audiences.
But not for all situations and audiences.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has updated its long-running “Gift Responsibly” campaign, founded in the early 2000s by the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, and added to it this holiday season the “Too Young to Bet” campaign.
According to the NCPG, the revamped campaign has three goals:
- Educate communities on the dangers of buying lottery tickets for children;
- Raise awareness about the risks of youth gambling;
- Support responsible gambling practices while remaining neutral about legalized gambling.
Maryland, Pennsylvania join in
Assorted state lotteries have gotten on board with the Gift Responsibly/Too Young to Bet campaign, including Maryland, which issued a statement Tuesday, noting “the Maryland Lottery encourages you to play and gift responsibly and remember that Lottery tickets are not an appropriate gift for children.”
Maryland is a state that offers not only legal lottery play, but also land-based casino play and retail and online sports betting.
“Responsible play messages are part of all Lottery advertising, and we require all of the gambling operators we regulate to include them as well,” Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin said. “An important part of responsible play is understanding the age limits that are in place.”
For sports betting or casino play, the legal age in Maryland is 21, whereas one can purchase lottery tickets in the state beginning at age 18. So the campaign is specifically focused on steering adults clear of buying lottery tickets as gifts for those 17 and under.
“We’re very careful about how Lottery tickets are designed and marketed in order to make sure that they don’t appeal to children,” Martin added. “We also ensure that gaming operators have robust processes in place to prevent underage participation.”
The Pennsylvania Lottery also issued a statement this week endorsing the NCPG initiative.
“During the holidays, it can be tempting to include lottery tickets as gifts,” Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko said. “While Lottery games provide fun and excitement for adults, they are not appropriate for children. Joining the Gift Responsibly Campaign gives us the opportunity to remind families to keep lottery products out of kids’ hands and to promote safe and responsible play during the holiday season.”
The NCPG’s campaign is supported by the North American Association of State & Provincial Lotteries and has also been endorsed by the World Lottery Association and European Lotteries.
