New York’s Responsible Play Partnership (RPP), comprised of the New York State Gaming Commission, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substances Abuse Services and the New York Council on Problem Gambling, reminds holiday gift givers that Lottery scratch-off tickets are not a suitable gift for children.

The 2018 launch of the RPP’s Gift Responsibly holiday campaign marks the 4th consecutive year that the group has partnered with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and more than 40 other lottery jurisdictions in the U.S. and abroad in support of the NCPG’s “Lottery Tickets are Not Child’s Play” informational campaign. The National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries recently endorsed the international messaging effort in recognition of the work being done in New York and elsewhere to bring attention to the issues surrounding gifting Lottery scratch-off tickets to minors.

The RPP’s TV public service announcement is currently featured on the NCPG’s “Holiday in Action”  web page. The PSA is available in English and Spanish.

Gaming Commission Acting Executive Director Ronald Ochrym said, “The New York Gaming Commission is proud to support the National Council’s ‘Lottery Tickets Are Not Child’s Play’ work with our own Gift Responsibly campaign to help increase visibility for this important message at holiday time and throughout the year.”

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “People giving out gifts this holiday season need to recognize that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for children. These games can put young people at risk of developing problems with gambling, and we need to ensure that we take whatever steps possible to avoid those issues.”

New York Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Jim Maney said, “We discourage youth from participating in any type of gambling as they are at higher risk of developing a problem. The RPP’s holiday campaign helps reinforce the message that youth should not participate in gambling activities.”

The Gift Responsibly campaign is currently running statewide and is being supported with in-store graphics at more than 17,000 retail locations. The multi-channel campaign is scheduled to run through the holiday season.