Monday, November 30, 2009

The holiday season is on the minds of many as it quickly approaches, and the hustle and bustle in stores and shopping centers is evident. Increasingly popular gifts are lottery tickets. As an affordable, colorful, and potentially promising gift, they often find their way into the hands of youth.

Results from a recent study showed that 19% of high school students received one or more lottery tickets or scratch cards as gifts, of which 86% came from a family member. This, coupled with the growing concern of adolescent problem gambling, prompted the National Council on Problem Gambling, the International Centre for Youth Gambling problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, the Kansas Lottery, and other lotteries around the world to collaborate this holiday season to increase public awareness about the effect of giving lottery products as gifts to minors.

This year, give children the gift of responsibility. The sale of lottery products is reserved to those 18 years of age and older, similar to age restrictions placed on the sale of alcohol and tobacco.

“Although we make it clear to players in Kansas that no one under the age of 18 can buy our tickets, it’s important to reiterate that parents shouldn’t give lottery tickets to kids as presents,” said Ed Van Petten, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “Holiday-themed scratch-offs are a popular gift this time of year, but they should only be gifted to people who are old enough to play legally.”

This holiday season, if you choose to offer a lottery product as a present, make sure you keep the person’s age in mind.