Gift Responsibly With the National Council on Problem Gambling
Published: December 6, 2021
Are you wondering what to give the child in your life during the holiday season? Scratch off lottery tickets and other gambling products could feel like a quick and easy stocking stuffer.
But Change The Game Ohio wants to share a friendly reminder that these products shouldn’t be gifted to children, as doing so could increase their risk of developing a problem with gambling later in life.
The National Council on Problem Gambling’s Gift Responsibly campaign helps to educate the public that lottery tickets aren’t child’s play. In addition, the campaign encourages lottery retailers to share youth-focused responsible gambling messages during the holiday season and other gift giving occasions throughout the year.
According to a study conducted by the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, of those who play, seventy percent received a lottery ticket as a holiday gift in their youth, with thirty percent of underage youth reporting receiving a scratch off lottery ticket from their parents or relatives. A research team from Yale also concluded that receiving scratch off tickets as gifts during childhood or adolescence was associated with problem gambling in adulthood.
Parental acceptance of gambling as a recreational activity may encourage youth gambling. So, to gift responsibly this holiday season and beyond, here are some affordable gift ideas fit for every child:
- For kids who love nature: ESSENSON provides an affordable outdoor explorer kit that allows your child to dive deep into nature, whether that’s catching flying bugs, small fish, or tadpoles.
- For kids who love to cook: eat2explore provides at-home boxes with recipes and ingredients from around the world, where kids can gain new cooking skills and learn about new cultures.
- For kids who love music: MIANOVA LED’s color-changing Bluetooth speaker is an affordable and fun way to jam out to their favorite music.
- For kids who love to read: Bookaroo, an award-winning book club for kids, is an affordable and available subscription service for any young reader.
- For kids who love sports: Blitz Champz is a football card game for ages seven and up, where kids can learn math skills and stats on their favorite sports players.
Together, we can help prevent youth gambling. For more information on how you can be a part of the solution, visit ChangeTheGameOhio.org.
If you’re interested in free and customizable resources for the Gift Responsibly campaign, please visit: ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/programs/gift-responsibly-campaign-2021/