Canadian Lotteries Promote Responsible Gambling
Top Canadian lottery companies have joined in the call by a center for youth gambling, asking parents and well-meaning family members not to buy tickets for children as stocking-stuffers this season.
While playing the lottery is a perfectly safe and enjoyable pastime for Canadian adults, the McGill International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviours feels that children and teens may be picking up the wrong messages if they suddenly win a big amount on their gift lottery tickets.
"The problem with a big win is it's all relative," explained the coordinator of the center, Jeffrey Derevensky. "For kids, getting an allowance of a dollar a week and he wins $20 in a scratch ticket, that's like five months' worth of allowance."
All Canadian lottery corporations have backed the center's message, with Bev Mehmel, speaking for the Manitoba Lotteries Corp., reminding players that lottery tickets are sold to adults and should only be used by adults. "It's not child's play," she warned.
The center showed that the rate of gambling among adolescents is higher than among adults, as adults are usually able to set limits and gamble responsibly.
Unfortunately, many parents believe that a lottery or scratch ticket makes the perfect gift for a child as it adds an element of excitement to the day.
BCLC Holiday Lottery Tickets
While Canadian lotteries promote responsible gambling and believe in keeping kids out of the equation, there is no stopping adults from purchasing some of the excellent lottery and scratch card tickets this season.
The British Columbia Lottery Corp, for example, is offering no less than eight Christmas themed scratch cards, from as little as $1 a card, with tens of thousands of dollars in prize money up for grabs.
Players can choose from exciting titles such as Rich and Royal, The Gift of Winning, Cash Flurries, It's a Wonderful Life, Santa's Surprise and Let it Snow
These scratch tickets can make amazing additions to any adult's gift and could put them in line to win prizes that include $200,000 in cash, luxury trips, sports cars and much more.
