MEMORANDUM

TO:NCPG Board of Directors

FROM:Keith Whyte

SUBJECT:Holiday Gift Campaign

Date:Friday, August 22

I would like to recommend to the Board that we join in the campaign to discourage adults from giving lottery tickets as gifts to children during the holidays. The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGillUniversitybegan the campaign several years ago, and now several Canadian lotteries participate. The North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) endorsed it last year. They are expanding the campaign in the U.S. and have asked NCPG to help.

Our role would be to help distribute information (see 2007 materials below) to promote the campaign to our members, partners and media contacts. We are working with McGill to develop materials to have on hand at our booth during the NASPL tradeshow, September 24-27 in Philadelphia.

Suggested Recommendation:

To participate in the campaign to discourage adults from giving lottery tickets as gifts to children.

McGILL CENTRE WORKS WITH LOTTERY ORGANIZATIONS TO DISCOURAGE PARENTS FROM OFFERING LOTTERY PRODUCTS TO CHILDREN AND TEENS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Montreal, November, 2007 – The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University is pleased to announce that it has once again partnered with Loto Québec and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation in an annual publicity campaign encouraging parents not to give lottery products to children and teens for the holidays. The Youth Gambling Centre continues to welcome other lottery organizations who wish to partner with us in this campaign, or who would wish to access our resources (including press release samples) to launch their own independent campaigns on this important topic.

Research shows that the majority of adolescents gamble at least occasionally and that lottery products may be a gateway to more problematic forms of gambling. Recent studies showup to 70-80% of adolescents report having gambled for money in the past year.

Lottery products are popular gifts because they are affordable and easily obtainable.Results from a recent study in Quebec show that 31% of high school students have received one or several lottery products as a gift during the preceding 12 months.

“At Loto-Québec’s request, the Québec government passed a law in February 2000 forbidding retailers to sell lottery tickets to people under 18”, underlines the president of Loto-Québec, Mr.Alain Cousineau. “We regularly remind retailers to be vigilant in the regard; we also ask parents to use their judgment and find more suitable gifts to children and teenagers than lottery tickets,” adds Mr. Cousineau.

Similarly, ALC’s President and CEO Michelle Carinci maintains this is a priority for her organization: “We see this as problematic. It’s not safe for minors to participate in any gambling activity and they shouldn’t be doing it. Parents need to remember that thesetickets are not appropriate for childrenat anytime of the year."

Research findings such as these, coupled with the growing concern of adolescent problem gambling in general, prompted the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors to partner with lottery corporations to raise public awareness on the issue of underage gambling. We have shared this information with lottery corporations around the world and are pleased that Loto-Québec and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation have joined us in publicizing this message.

For more information on joining our campaign, or mounting a similar campaign for your organization, contact:

  1. Alissa Sklar, Senior Researcher and Communications Specialist, International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, McGill University, 398-2470, .
  2. Jean-Pierre Roy, Director of Media Relations, Loto-Québec, (514) 499-5151.
  3. Kim Wilson, Manager, Social Responsibility & Responsible Gambling, (506) 867-5010.

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