‘Lottery tickets aren’t child’s play,’ ADDS says

While buying lottery tickets as stocking stuffers for children may be a heartfelt tradition, experts say lottery tickets aren't child's play.

Lottery tickets are not an appropriate gift for people under the legal gambling age, according to the Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services of Southeast Iowa (ADDS). The earlier children begin gambling, the more likely they are to develop gambling problems as adults, research shows.

'The legal gambling age is 21 because brain development is more fully mature (at that age),” said Jessica Hartz, gambling counselor at ADDS. 'Kids are more susceptible to thinking errors.”

While adults can recognize that a winning lottery ticket is nothing more than a 'stroke of luck” or random chance, children have more difficulty putting that win into perspective, Hartz explained. Gambling can be interpreted as a safe thing to do when a lottery ticket is given as a gift by a parent or family member, she said.

Gambling may be viewed as entertainment, but it's important to understand that comes with a degree of risk, Hartz said. Between 2 to 7 percent of youth experience gambling addiction compared to 1 percent of adults, according to ADDS.

Most children who receive lottery tickets don't develop gambling problems, Hartz said. However, children who did receive lottery tickets as gifts were more likely to develop a severe gambling problem than children who do not receive lottery tickets.

'I think people don't think of scratch off tickets as gambling,” Hartz said. 'When you ask kids or adults what they think of gambling, they think of casinos and things like that. The perception is that (lottery tickets) are harmless.”

Even so, Hartz said many of the people they see in treatment for gambling additions at ADDS reported gambling between the ages of 10- to 18-years-old, and a lot of them did it with friends and family members.

Just like alcohol and drugs, gambling can mess with the reward center of the brain, causing a chemical imbalance that is trained to respond in an addictive manner, Hartz said.

Research on youth gambling shows that the earlier children begin gambling, the more likely they are to develop gambling problems as adults. Parents of children or teenagers who receive lottery tickets as Christmas gifts should talk to them about the risks of gambling, Hartz said.

In the Iowa Youth Survey 2016: Problem Gambling report, which is the most recent available data, 84,703 sixth, eight and 11th-grade boys and girls were surveyed. Research showed that men were two times more likely to demonstrate lifetime gambling than women.

According to the report, lifetime substance abuse and alcohol use had a strong association with lifetime gambling. Students who reported depressive thoughts were also more likely to gamble and thoughts of suicide were strongly related to gambling behaviors.

The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors suggests parents talk to their kids about the risks associated with gambling; limit their own participation in gambling; explain the difference between responsible gambling and excessive and risky gambling; and listen to what their child has to say about gambling and encourage discussion.

Not everyone who gambles develops a problem, but it is still important to gamble responsibly, Hartz said.

'There are age restrictions for a reason. Talking about why it's important to wait until 21-years-old, having a set time and money limit (when gambling) and talking about responsible gambling guidelines is important,” Hartz said.

'It's about letting kids know that while it can be a fun activity, it should be done in moderation and with thought behind it,” she continued.

Anyone who feels that gambling has become a problem for them or a loved one can reach out to ADDS at 319-753-6567.