‘Tis the season for ugly sweaters, eggnog and stocking stuffers.
Which one of the three do you like the most? You can never go wrong with ugly sweaters and sometimes you can go way wrong with too much eggnog. (Isn’t that how grandma got run over by a reindeer?)
What about stocking stuffers? It’s easily the most volatile category of the three. Socks are more valuable now than they were when we were children, but still capped at a solid Instagram story. Of course, we can go in many directions from here with other stocking stuffer ideas.
For example, lottery tickets and scratch-offs make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life. Unlike socks, candy, lotion, and other small, thoughtful gifts, lottery tickets bring the potential to win money from a gift.
But they also come with risk, and the North Carolina Education Lottery’s Play Smart Gift Smart campaign reminds everybody to partake responsibly when gifting lottery tickets this Christmas season and throughout the year.
Keep the tradition alive by gifting NC Lottery tickets responsibly
At its core, Play Smart Gift Smart looks to keep the tradition of gifting lottery tickets during the holidays alive. The North Carolina Lottery even has holiday-themed scratch-offs that make for perfect stocking stuffers and last-minute gifts.
The campaign also highlights that participating in the lottery is, by nature, a form of gambling. Like other games of chance, anyone purchasing lottery tickets should remember to treat it as entertainment.
The three NC responsible gambling rules this campaign wants you to remember:
– Only give lottery tickets to the adults in your life.
– Keep lottery tickets away from anyone under age 18, even already scratched tickets.
– Share the risks of gambling with others in your life.
Explainer: Gift Responsibly 2023
Lottery ticket sales increase nationwide during November, December, and winter holidays. Play Smart Gift Smart is one of several North Carolina responsible gambling efforts focusing on raising public awareness and educating communities about the dangers of underage gambling, including playing the lottery.
The National Council on Problem Gambling’s Gift Responsibly Campaign partners with more than 150 lotteries and community organizations to raise awareness about the risks of buying lottery tickets as holiday gifts for children. It was founded in the early 2000s and has gained 100% participation from all US and Canadian lotteries.
The Gift Responsibly Campaign lists three primary goals:
– Educate communities on the downside of buying lottery tickets for children.
– Increase awareness about the risks of underage gambling.
– Support responsible gambling practices and maintain a neutral stance toward legal, regulated gambling.
Buying lotto tickets for kids is a risky business!
Buying scratch-offs for the whole family, kids included, may seem harmless. However, studies show a positive correlation between a person’s exposure to gambling and their likelihood of developing a gambling problem later in life.
Furthermore, many people with gambling problems report their first gambling experience came in the form of a lottery ticket given by an adult. According to the NCPG, many people say their first gambling experience occurred between nine and 11 years of age, and 10% to 14% of adolescents are at risk for developing a problem related to gambling.
The Gift Responsibly and Play Smart Gift Smart North Carolina responsible gambling campaigns bring these facts to light. What seems harmless can become destructive to children and adolescents in their most formative years.
We have access to more data than ever before, and those data show that underage gambling adds unnecessary risk to a risk-laden equation. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. Simply put, engaging in NC responsible gambling practices includes gifting lottery tickets to adults only.
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