Lottery Gifts Make Poor Presents for Kids, Says National Council on Problem Gambling

Lottery gifts shouldn t be given as presents to kids and anyone else under the legal playing age, the nation s leading responsible gaming organization says.

Many adolescents are introduced to gambling through lottery gifts. The presents are often given by adults who are likely unaware of the associated risks.

The (NCPG), the only national nonprofit organization working to minimize the social and economic costs associated with gambling addiction, claims the earlier someone becomes familiarized with gambling, the likelier they are to later develop a gambling disorder.

In an effort to stop adults from purchasing lottery tickets this holiday season for the younger people in their lives, the NCPG is again running its Gift Responsibly Campaign. The NCPG says every lottery organization in the US and Canada is participating in the fifth installment of the campaign.

Youth problem gambling has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue, said Keith Whyte, NCPG executive director. We are thrilled to have such support from the lottery community for the 2022 Gift Responsibly Campaign as we work to minimize gambling-related harm.

The NCPG says 63 lotteries and 53 non-lottery organizations from around the world have joined the 2022 Gift Responsibly Campaign.

The November and December holiday season is typically the busiest period of the year for retailers. And many state lotteries seek to get in on the spending bonanza by reminding consumers that scratch-offs make great gifts.

In Pennsylvania, the state lottery has for many years been running the same television commercial. First released in 1994, the Pennsylvania Lottery s long-running advertisement shows an older man delivering lottery gifts on what appears to be a snowy Christmas Eve.

What a great gift, says one of the recipients. A narrator adds, Pennsylvania Lottery tickets make great gifts.