New York Lottery Tickets Are Not Gifts For Children This Holiday Season – Or Any Day

As the holiday season reaches its peak, people are rushing to find last-minute presents and small gifts for stockings.

One of the most well-liked Hail Mary plays is purchasing New York Lottery scratch-off tickets.

Although lottery and its retailers appreciate purchases made as gifts, the New York State Gaming Commission’s Division of Lottery strongly emphasizes the significance of refraining from gifting lottery tickets to children.

Brian O’Dwyer, chair of the NYSGC, emphasized in a press release that regardless of the occasion, the New York Lottery’s scratch-off tickets should not be given as gifts to children. He further reminded players during this holiday season that lottery games should only be gifted by adults to other adults.

NY Lottery stands beside Gift Responsibly Campaign

The NYSGC Division of Lottery is not the only entity that consistently opposes the act of giving lottery tickets to underage individuals on a yearly basis.

Instead, the group becomes a participant in the 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign, which is organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in collaboration with the International Centre For Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University.

Throughout the holiday season, the Gift Responsibly Campaign spreads its message through radio and television public service announcements.

Keith Whyte, the executive director of the NCPG, commended the New York Lottery’s dedication to promoting awareness of the escalating public health concern of youth problem gambling through the Gift Responsibly Campaign.

“We have a straightforward message: gifting lottery tickets to children is never appropriate.”

Raising awareness about risks of youth gambling

Studies have shown that individuals who are exposed to gambling at a young age are more prone to developing gambling issues in the future. This exposure often happens when children come across lottery products, like scratch-off tickets, which are sometimes given to them as gifts.

The 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign now sees participation from 63 lottery associations and 53 non-lottery organizations globally, as reported by the NCPG.

In the last two months of 2024, community members actively engage in educating their communities about the perils associated with purchasing lottery tickets for minors. This initiative aims to enhance awareness about the hazards of underage gambling, while simultaneously promoting responsible gambling practices.

According to Jeffrey Derevensky, the director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, he stated that

Encouraging responsible gambling, the Gift Responsibly Campaign emphasizes the importance of gifting lottery tickets exclusively to adults. This initiative serves as an effective means to promote responsible gambling practices.