Texas Lottery reminds to gift responsibly
Dec. 1—AUSTIN — Lottery products make great gifts during the holiday season, but they should not be given to children, a Texas Lottery press release detailed.
For the 14th year, the Texas Lottery is joining lotteries and community organizations around the world in the Gift Responsibly campaign to raise awareness about the risks of buying lottery tickets for children.
The campaign is organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University.
"From its inception, the Texas Lottery has maintained its commitment to the responsible management and sale of lottery tickets, while being clear that lottery games are not intended for children," Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery, stated in the press release. "The Texas Lottery is proud to support the 2022 Gift Responsibly campaign. We remain committed to our social responsibility of urging lottery consumers to play and gift responsibly, while also providing resources for problem gambling."
According to research by the NCPG and McGill University, the earlier a person participates or is exposed to gambling during 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.
"Youth problem gambling has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue. We applaud the Texas Lottery's commitment to raising awareness about risks of youth gambling through the Gift Responsibly campaign," Keith Whyte, NCPG executive director, stated in the press release. "Our message is a simple one: lottery tickets are never appropriate gifts for children."
Throughout the holiday season, the Texas Lottery is raising awareness about the risks of youth gambling by displaying multimedia messages at retail, on social media, in the Texas Lottery App, on its website and through retailer and employee education messages.
Certified for its Responsible Gambling program by NCPG and the World Lottery Association, the Texas Lottery emphasizes responsible gambling in its marketing efforts and promotional materials throughout the year, all of which encourage responsible play and remind consumers that you must be 18 or older to purchase a lottery ticket.
More than 20,000 lottery retailers across the state also are trained and reminded that lottery tickets should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. Retailers are also trained to not redeem prizes for minors. Information on how to find help for problem gambling is available on the Texas Lottery's scratch and draw game tickets, website, social media and at Texas Lottery retail locations.
