Don’t give scratch tickets to underage Minnesotans for Christmas — that’s the message from the State Lottery and the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. Spokesperson Susan Sheridan Tucker says an adult providing a lottery ticket to a child makes it “very normalized” in a young mind — when actually children can’t distinguish potential risks of gambling. Sheridan Tucker says it’s especially a problem if the lottery ticket wins a big prize, because then there’s the expectation that a ticket will win every time.
State Lottery executive director Robert Doty says while lottery tickets make fun gifts for adults, they’re not appropriate for children.
For resources to deal with problem gambling, call 1-800-333-HOPE anytime, or visit NorthstarProblemGambling.org