A nonprofit organization looking to minimize social and economic costs tied to gambling addiction, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), has launched its fifth consecutive yearly campaign promoting responsible gambling in November. The 2022 Gift Responsibly campaign endorsed by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries as well as the European Lotteries has been once again joined by a large number of American and Canadian lotteries and non-lottery organizations.
Worrisome NCPB Research Results
The Washington DC-based organization has recorded impressive growth in the number of attendees for this year’s campaign, with 63 lotteries and 53 non-lottery organizations now on the list. All 113 campaign members will work on their own strategies to raise awareness and educate local communities regarding the risks related to the purchase of lottery tickets and giving them to children.
The large number of participants comes in response to the research done by the NCPG that proved that children who participate in or are exposed to gambling early in their life have higher chances of developing problem gambling tendencies as adults. Plus, the same NCPG research showed that exposure to gambling often occurs when parents buy lottery tickets for their children without realizing the potentially negative consequences of their actions.
All 113 lotteries and non-lottery organizations will use the rest of December to promote responsible gambling. Level-1, level-2, and level-3 lotteries like Arizona Lottery, DC Lottery, Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, Florida Lottery, Georgia Lottery Corporation, California State Lottery, Alberta Gambling, Liquor & Cannabis, Arkansas Scholarship Lottery or Delaware Lottery will benefit from a few different levels of engagement including media commitments.
These media commitments will turn into radio and TV promos, as well as social media promotions and different types of digital ads, along with retailer training and in-store signage. All activities part of the 2022 campaign are aimed at conveying the powerful message that lottery products are never suitable gifts for underage children.
Youth Problem Gambling, “a Significant and Growing Public Health Issue”
The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors’ director Jeffrey Derevensky spoke about the campaign, calling it an excellent opportunity of promoting responsible gambling “by encouraging adults to only gift lottery tickets to other adults.” At the same time, NCPG’s executive director Keith Whyte called youth problem gambling an important public health problem that is constantly growing. He also expressed his excitement to benefit from the support of the lottery community and a large number of non-lottery participants. In October, the NCPG awarded $120,000 in grants to entities ready to fight problem gambling.
The campaign is organized with the help of the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University which has created award-winning programs for prevention while offering to government agencies for developing responsible gambling initiatives in the past two and a half decades.