The South Dakota Lottery has joined lotteries and community organizations around the world to raise awareness about the risks of underage lottery use.
The Gift Responsibly campaign is part of the South Dakota Lottery’s year-round efforts to promote responsible play. The Lottery provides responsible gambling resources on each of its products, including the toll-free problem gambling helpline.
Executive Director Norm Lingle says research shows the earlier a person’s exposure to gambling is in childhood, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. He says gambling exposure during childhood is often through some kind of lottery product, such as scratch tickets, and often these items are given to a child by an adult who is unaware of the associated risks.
Lingle says the South Dakota Lottery has been a viable source of entertainment and revenue for the state for more than 35 years. But, he says, they also remind players to play responsibly through initiatives like the Gift Responsibly Campaign.