Reminder: Don’t give lottery tickets as gifts to children

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Lottery tickets make popular gifts and stocking stuffers during the holidays, but while playing is fun, lottery games are intended for adults and not for teens or children.

To help raise awareness on the potential risks of gifting lottery products to children, the Education Lottery is joining more than 50 lotteries and organizations around the world in an annual holiday prevention campaign. For the first time, all U.S. and Canadian lotteries are part of the campaign.

“By working with our partners in the area of problem gambling, we know that some who develop a gambling problem report their first experience came when they were young,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We ask North Carolinians to keep the fun for the adults and be active partners with us in preventing lottery tickets from ending up in the hands of minors.”