With the holidays around the corner, BCLC is reminding adults to let kids be kids and to fill their stockings with toys and treats, not Scratch & Win tickets.

BCLC’s annual GiftSmart campaign encourages adults doing their last-minute holiday shopping to consider choosing age-appropriate gifts for children and avoid giving lottery products like Scratch & Win tickets.

“It’s important to remember that lottery products are designed for adults,” said Ryan McCarthy, director of player health at BCLC.

“Even as an innocent gesture, gifting Scratch & Win tickets to children can expose them to gambling and may increase their risk of gambling harms later in life. BCLC’s commitment to healthy play extends to making adults aware of the realities behind youth gambling exposure – and we want to support them in modelling safer play for their young ones. This season, we can celebrate the children in our lives with gifts meant for them that are safe, fun and age appropriate.”

McCarthy stresses that gambling-related content is on the rise, including in places that kids can easily access, like social media, streaming platforms and influencer channels.

Further, many games and apps designed for children include gambling-like features, such as loot boxes. Early exposure to this content, which make gambling look fun and exciting, can shape kids’ attitudes and behaviours toward gambling.

Research shows that children who encounter gambling early are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviours as they grow up.

Studies from the UBC Centre for Gambling Research highlight additional risks:

• Those who purchase loot boxes in video games are at an elevated risk for gambling.
• A higher frequency of watching online gambling streams, as on Twitch, TikTok and similar platforms, is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.

BCLC is offering a few tips to adults to help prevent early childhood exposure to gambling leading to risk:

• Choose gifts wisely: Avoid giving lottery tickets or Scratch & Win tickets to minors. Pick age-appropriate gifts instead.
• Be a role model: Demonstrate safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks with them. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
• Have open conversations: Ask them what they know about gambling and explain why it’s not for them.
• Limit exposure and watch for lifestyle changes: Monitor kids’ screen time activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Listen for increased interest in gambling and loot boxes or preoccupation with video games and streaming sites.

BCLC is sharing the #GiftSmart message through its annual public-information campaign at 3,400 lottery retailers across B.C. as well as through social media and online marketing campaigns.

In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19.

For more information about GiftSmart and safer gambling, visit gamesense.com.

BCLC photo

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