NJ Lottery Launches New Campaign against Underage Gambling

A new campaign raises awareness about gambling in New Jersey. “Not 18 Yet? No Bet” is the slogan of the campaign, launched by the New Jersey Lottery. The campaign urges adults not to involve their kids in gambling activities such as the lottery and set a responsible play example.

New Campaign Raises Awareness and Fights Underage Gambling in New Jersey

To prevent underage gambling, the New Jersey Lottery (NJL) announced the launch of a new gambling awareness campaign. The campaign’s slogan is “Not 18 Yet? No Bet,” and it comes after voters in the state approved a change to the gambling law, setting age restrictions for lottery games. The latest gambling awareness campaign was produced by the Lottery in collaboration with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ).

The Lottery urged adults not to involve their underage children in Lottery or other gambling activities. Additionally, the Lottery asked adults to set a responsible play example for their children. With that in mind, according to State Lottery Law N.J.S.A. 5:9-1 et seq. Section 5:9-15, selling tickets to individuals under the age of 18 is prohibited.

The Campaign Describes Teen Problem Gambling Behavior

According to NJL’s brochure, the major types of betting activities that teens participate in are lottery, sports betting and games of skill, as well as cards. The Lottery explains that signs of problem gambling in teens may include absences from school or a decline in grades. Another sign of problem gambling in teens is when individuals are stealing money or asking family, friends or even strangers for money. Selling personal belongings, as well as showing off money or expensive clothing, may also be a sign that a teen is experiencing problem gambling.

The Lottery offers a support hotline for people who are experiencing gambling problems. The line is available 24 hours a day, every day. Besides the hotline, the Lottery’s latest brochure is already available in retail locations around the state, as well as online.

In a recent interview with Casino.org, CCGNJ’s executive director, Felicia Grondin, said that when children and teens are playing the lottery, that is underage gambling, which is illegal. She outlined that there have been incidents with teens gambling, which is why the new gambling awareness program was launched. Grondin stressed that research has proved that 4-5% of the teens aged 12-17 “meet one or more criteria for having a gambling problem.“