ILLINOIS LOTTERY ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE PLAY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
State’s lottery joins groups from around the world in the Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2018
Contact: Jason Schaumburg (312) 793-3034
CHICAGO – This holiday season, the Illinois Lottery is teaming up with lotteries in the U.S. and around the world to take part in the Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign. The initiative helps raise awareness about the risks of underage lottery play during the holiday season.
“We are proud to stand alongside lotteries from around the world in support of the Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign,” said Harold Mays, Acting Director of the Illinois Lottery. “Joining this campaign reflects the Illinois Lottery’s unwavering commitment to promoting responsible play, and we look forward to helping spread that message through this initiative.”
The Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign is spearheaded by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University. The initiative encourages lottery players to “#giftresponsibly,” keeping lottery play limited to only those who are 18 and older throughout the holidays and beyond.
“We know that playing the Lottery is often a part of holiday traditions for many in Illinois,” said Mays. “However, the Lottery is only fun when played responsibly – with players who are 18 and older. As early gambling experiences are a risk factor for later problem gambling, we urge players to put responsible play at the top of their list this holiday season.”
According to the NCPG and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, 2 to 4 percent of adolescents presently have a gambling problem with another 10 to 14 percent of adolescents being at-risk for developing a gambling problem. Additionally, adult problem gamblers report an earlier onset of gambling, often beginning between the ages of 10-19.
In 2017, the Illinois Lottery was one of 55 lotteries in the U.S. and around the world that supported the Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign. That support will continue with the Illinois Lottery’s participation this year, which will include multi-platform social media messaging to raise awareness about the issues at the heart of the campaign. For additional resources about how to ensure responsible lottery play in Illinois, please visit http://rg.illinoislottery.com/en-us/ResponsibleGaming.html.
About the Illinois Lottery:
Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $20 billion (since 1985) to the state’s Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund and to special causes like Illinois Veterans services, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, Special Olympics and assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to playing in-store, the Illinois Lottery offers online and mobile play for all draw-based Illinois Lottery games at illinoislottery.com. Players must be at least 18 years old.