Minors Awareness Campaign for Lottery Tickets
 Introducing
Christmas 2009 Program – Santa doesn’t bring
kids lottery tickets
This marks the first year for a special, Christmas edition
of the AGLC’s Under-18 Minors Awareness Education Campaign.
Beginning mid-November, lottery ticket product retailers will
be displaying a bright, shiny green, holly-festooned version
of the Under-18 poster. With the posters and newspaper ads
running in major Alberta papers during the pre-Christmas season,
the AGLC reminds adults that lottery and scratch tickets should
not be given to minors; not at Christmas or any other time
of the year.
The act of stuffing stockings or cards with lottery or scratch
tickets is sometimes not perceived as gambling, when in fact,
purchasing, scratching and cashing in lottery products are
considered to be gambling activities; suitable for adults only
and not something minors should be encouraged or invited to
participate in. Research shows that starting to gamble at an
earlier age is a risk factor associated with problem gambling
later in life.
2009
Christmas Campaign Products
 Under-18
Minors Awareness Education Campaign
You may have seen the Under-18, All Bets are Off! campaign
posters displayed by lottery ticket retailers across Alberta.
According to AGLC policy, lottery ticket product retailers are
required to post an Under-18 campaign poster year-round. The
goal is to remind retailers that they “shall ensure that
Minors are not sold, allowed to play or to receive payment of
prize monies for Lottery Ticket products under any circumstances” and
remind Alberta adults that they also have a role to play in preventing
under-age gambling, by not giving lottery or scratch tickets
to minors.
Every year, from about mid-May to mid-July, the Alberta Gaming
and Liquor Commission promotes the campaign, by issuing new posters
and running small ads in major newspapers across the province.
This promotion strives to raises awareness among lottery ticket
retailers and the public about the need to prevent youth from
accessing lottery products. The campaign’s tagline, “You
bet, we’ll check. ID required.” reminds lottery
ticket retailers to request proof of age from anyone who appears
to be a minor.
While some people believe that purchasing or playing lottery
tickets is not really gambling and that minors should be allowed
to play, lottery tickets are a form of gambling and should be
restricted to adults only. Restricting minors’ access to
all forms of gambling is a joint responsibility of government,
licensees and the community.
Since lottery tickets were first introduced in Alberta in 1975,
the AGLC has had a policy prohibiting the sale, scratching or
redeeming of lottery ticket products to or by, minors.
Research initiated by AADAC (now Alberta Health Services) in
2005 (The Alberta
Youth Experience Survey – TAYES) showed that over
60 per cent of youth participate in some form of gambling, with
playing cards for money and playing scratch and win tickets identified
as the most common activities. The AADAC research also indicated
that the earlier an individual begins gambling, the more likely
he or she is to experience problems with gambling later in life.
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