Today the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems & High Risk Behaviors at McGill University are announcing the Gift Responsibly Campaign (GRC), a re-branding and expansion of the former Holiday Lottery Campaign. Each year lotteries around the world help raise awareness about the risks of underage lottery play during the December holiday season. While the campaign aims to continue its focus on holiday season giving at the end of the year, the name change enables lotteries to expand the responsible giving messaging for all the occasions where children might receive lottery tickets as gifts (e.g. birthdays, graduations, etc.). In addition, the GRC will offer lotteries and other organizations three new creative collateral design options, including digital files that can be used for social media sharing.
The Campaign started in 2002 in response to research showing that early childhood gambling exposure, especially lottery play, can increase the risk of developing gambling problems later in life. This public awareness campaign focuses on discouraging adults from giving children lottery tickets as gifts. The GRC is also endorsed by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL).
“The new Gift Responsibly Campaign name makes it easier for participating organizations to raise awareness that lottery tickets, the form of gambling with the broadest participation, should not be given as gifts to children for any occasion during the year,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte.
Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, Director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, also points out the campaign partners believe the name change fundamentally reinforces lottery corporation policies respecting age prohibitions.
During the holiday season, participating lottery organizations engage in different levels of public engagement classified as Lottery level 1, Lottery level 2, Lottery level 3. In recent years, non-lottery organizations have also joined the Campaign. These engagement levels will only be used during the holiday season enabling participating organizations to determine how to further disseminate the campaign message throughout the year. To learn more information about the GRC and view the new collateral design options on the NCPG website, go here. Updates to the accompanying toolkit will be coming soon.
Last year, for the third year in a row, 100% of Canadian and U.S. lotteries, along with numerous international lotteries, non-lottery organizations and many NCPG members joined the GRC to promote responsible gambling. The expectation is the greater flexibility with the GRC messaging and materials will increase the already robust participation levels.
About the National Council on Problem Gambling
Based in Washington DC, the National Council on Problem Gambling is the only national nonprofit organization that seeks to minimize the economic and social costs associated with gambling addiction by working with all stakeholders. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling. If gambling becomes a problem, NCPG urges people who gamble, as well as their loved ones, to contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline, which offers hope and help without judgment or shame. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org/chat. Help is available 24/7 – it is free, anonymous and confidential.
About the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors
For 25 years, the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors has been at the forefront of leading-edge research aimed at identifying and understanding the critical factors related to youth gambling issues. The Centre has developed numerous award-winning prevention programs and provides consultations to government agencies around the world to develop responsible gambling initiatives.