Stop Predatory Gambling

Children don’t belong in state lottery ads

by Les

An Oklahoma legislator is moving ahead with a bill that would prevent the lottery in that state from using kids in its advertising. The Oklahoma Lottery Commission last year had a series of advertisements featuring children in them. Most recently, the commission has aired ads with college-aged people in them.

Using children in lottery ads is another example how state lotteries abuse their exemption from truth-in-advertising laws. Because of the predatory marketing used by lotteries and casinos, serious gambling-related problems has emerged as an epidemic among America’s youth. Every government should take action this year to stop lotteries from exploiting kids in its advertising.