Scratch & Win tickets should stay out of kids’ stockings this Christmas: BCLC

The BC Lottery Corporation is reminding parents and caregivers that scratch and win tickets are not appropriate stocking stuffers for children.

In a media release issued, Dec. 12, the Kamloops-based corporation that controls legal gambling in BC said the lottery products it sells are not an appropriate gift for children as it could lead to problem gambling later in life.

“We’re working hard to get this very important message out to adults that lottery products should never be gifted to kids,” BCLC employee Jamie Ferguson said in the release.

The Crown corporation points to research that shows the average problem gambler was exposed to gambling as a child and started gambling at ten years of age.

Studies quoted by BCLC show that 10% to 14% of adolescents are at risk for developing a gambling addiction, while 4% to 6% of youth ages 12 to 17 have a gambling problem.

Instead of giving lottery tickets to children Ferguson, who works as a so-called GameSense Advisor at Cascades Casino Kamloops, suggests talking to kids about the risks of gambling.

“It can be as simple as explaining to a child during a visit to an amusement park that just because money was paid to get a chance to win a stuffed animal, it doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to win,” she said.

The lottery corporation says parents should tailor the conversation to their kids’ interests, then tell them about hidden signs of the problem such as hiding debt or skipping class. It also recommends parents serve as an example to their children.

For more ideas visit the resources for families part of lottery corporation's website here.

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