With the holidays coming up, gift giving can be hard. This may lead a lot of people to buy scratch-off tickets for loved ones.
While these aren’t bad gift ideas, they are illegal for children under the age of 18.
The New York State Gaming Commission’s Division of Lottery is once again joining lotteries and public health organizations around the world to raise awareness about the risks of gifting lottery tickets to children.
“No matter the occasion, the New York Lottery’s scratch-off games are not appropriate gifts for children,” Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer said. “This holiday season, we remind players that Lottery games should be gifted only by adults to adults.”
“Youth problem gambling has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue. We applaud the New York Lottery’s commitment to raising awareness about risks of youth gambling through the Gift Responsibly campaign,” said Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director. “Our message is a simple one: lottery tickets are never appropriate gifts for children.”
The Lottery’s support for the 2022 Gift Responsibly initiative consists of radio and TV public service announcements produced by the agency’s marketing partner McCann New York, social media posts, in-store signage, and targeted retailer training.
Samantha edits our personal finance and consumer news section. Have a question or lead? Send it to [email protected].