Maryland Lottery joins annual international campaign to promote responsible play
The upcoming Thanksgiving weekend often signals the start of holiday shopping. As you plan your gift buying for family members of all ages, the Maryland Lottery offers a reminder that while lottery tickets are great fun for adults, they are not an appropriate gift for anyone under the age of 18.
This holiday season, the Maryland Lottery is again joining national and international groups and lotteries to promote responsible giving and gaming. The Holiday Lottery Responsible Gambling Campaign is sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in Washington, D.C. and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University in Canada.
“Responsible gaming goes beyond simply playing Lottery games in moderation,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica. “It’s also important, especially this time of year, to remember that our tickets are not meant for children.”
The Lottery emphasizes responsible gambling by displaying responsible play messages on its marketing and promotional materials. The messages include the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline, which is available 24 hours a day. The Lottery’s 4,300 retailers are prohibited from selling tickets to minors.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming is a founding member of the Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gambling (MARG), which brings together state agencies and gambling stakeholders to develop resources to assist problem gamblers. Visit mdgamblinghelp.org for details.
The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, a unit of the Maryland Department of Health, has joined the Lottery as a partner in the Holiday Lottery Responsible Gaming Campaign. The Center of Excellence is a key member of MARG and offers problem gambling assessment and treatment services free of charge to Maryland residents. Information on those services is available at mdproblemgambling.com or by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
The Maryland Lottery’s focus on responsible gaming led to World Lottery Association (WLA) certification of its policies, procedures and programs. The WLA is a global organization that offers lotteries a comprehensive framework of responsible gambling principles to follow and four levels of certification. The Lottery is now pursuing the highest of these levels, which requires an ongoing progression of education and training programs for Lottery employees and retailers.