Scratch lottery tickets off your shopping list for kids

Alan Prahl column: Scratch lottery tickets off your shopping list for kids

Nov. 9, 2013


As the holiday buying season approaches, consumers are starting to think about their holiday wishes and retailers are wishing for many consumers. What will shoppers spend this year? A recent poll suggests people may spend less, while experts on problem gambling say don’t spend at all on lottery tickets or scratch cards as gifts for minors.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) conducted a poll asking consumers about their spending plans for the holidays. Here are their poll questions and the results:


This holiday season I will ...

• Spend as I did last year because my financial situation is stable: 11 percent.
• Cut back on spending because I am worse off financially this year: 53 percent.
• Spend more than last year because I am in a better financial position: 3 percent.
• Not spend at all, because I anticipate further financial distress: 33 percent.

The majority of poll participants plan to cut back on spending or not spend at all. While many families enjoy the holiday season, overspending can lead to higher debt levels and financial instability. It is encouraging that consumers plan to spend responsibly.

Speaking of spending responsibly, a growing number of high school students are receiving lottery tickets or scratch cards as gift. While this may seem like innocent fun, the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling is discouraging people from buying lottery tickets for youth. In its fall 2013 newsletter the council described a recent study of 2,002 Connecticut high school students. The study showed that youth who receive lottery tickets as a gift tend to begin gambling earlier in life. The early experience of gambling is associated with future problems such as difficulties stopping gambling.

Evidence suggests that 70 percent to 80 percent of adolescents have gambled for money in the last year and about 30 percent gamble on a weekly basis. Some problem gamblers report that they started gambling when they were 9 to 10 years old.

So how are state lottery offices approaching gift giving? The Connecticut state lottery encourages “responsible gaming” and offers advertising and point of purchase messages like “Gift Responsibly” and “Gambling is not child’s play.” However, their website also encourages people to buy lottery tickets with marketing messages like “Happily Ever After,” “Holiday Magic” and “Lucky for Life.”

Problem gambling has caused some people to engage in risky and destructive behavior, including carrying large amounts of debt, embezzlement and job loss. Problem gambling is a serious issue, so it’s wise to shop responsibly this holiday season and not purchase lottery tickets as gifts for youth.

— Alan Prahl is with FISC, a nonprofit program of Goodwill North Central Wisconsin. He can be reached at aprahl@fisc-cccs.org.


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