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Lotteries encourage parents to give responsibly this holiday season UUֱ Centre teams up with the NCPG and industry partners to send responsible gaming message

Published: 9 December 2010

The annual Holiday Campaign, through the collaborative partnership of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at UUֱ and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) highlights the risks of giving lottery tickets and scratch cards as holiday gifts to minors. “Research reveals that kids frequently gamble, often with their parent’s knowledge, in spite of the age and restrictions on lottery play,” explained Keith Whyte, executive director, National Council on Problem Gambling. “We are therefore pleased to team up again with lotteries across North America and around the world to educate adults that lottery tickets are not appropriate holiday gifts for underage children.”

A record number of lottery corporations in Canada and the U.S. are participating in the campaign. For the first time, we also have international support from the Austrian, Mexican, Portuguese and Swedish lottery corporations.

“We know that playing the lottery at a young age is inappropriate and can increase the potential for problem gambling later in life,” said Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, co-director of UUֱ’s International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors and a renowned expert on problem gambling among young people. “We look forward to growing support and encourage all lottery corporations to join with us to convey the message that lottery tickets are for adults... not for children.”

As of December 1, the 2010 participants include:

AB Svenska Spel (Sweden), Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, Atlantic Lottery, Austrian Lotteries, British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Connecticut Lottery Corporation, Hoosier Lottery (Indiana), Jogos Santa Casa (Portugal), Kansas Lottery, Kentucky Lottery Corporation, Loteria Nacional para la Asistencia Publica (Mexico), Loto-Québec, Manitoba Lotteries, North Carolina Education Lottery, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, Ohio Lottery Commission, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Rhode Island Lottery, Saskatchewan Lotteries, South Dakota Lottery, Texas Lottery, Virginia Lottery, Washington's Lottery and the Wisconsin Lottery.

We welcome all groups to join and help encourage adults not to purchase lottery tickets for their underage children and relatives.

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