Gen Z and a New Era of Lottery and Player Health

By Amy Gabrila, Director of Player Health, The Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health

Published May 19, 2026

Generation Z is no longer a future audience for lotteries. They are actively aging into legal play. Gen Z is coming of age during a period of rapid digital transformation, increased gambling options, and heightened public expectations around RG and player health. For lotteries, understanding how this generation views entertainment, money, and risk is essential not only for relevance but for maintaining public trust and long-term sustainability.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has grown up in a fully digital, on-demand environment shaped by smartphones, social media, digital payments, and algorithm-driven content. They expect transparency, personalization, and ease of use. Gen Z is quick to disengage from experiences that feel confusing, outdated, or misaligned with their values. At the same time, they are often more financially cautious and risk-aware than millennials were at the same age, influenced by economic instability, student debt concerns, and widespread financial information. (Pew Research Center)

This combination of high digital fluency and heightened skepticism and awareness presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The key will be how to engage Gen Z in ways that feel authentic, responsible, and aligned with player health principles.

ADVERTISEMENT

How Gen Z Thinks About Play, Risk, and Money

Gen Z’s relationship with gambling exists within a broader ecosystem of digital gaming, esports, sports content, fantasy contests, and gamified financial products. Research suggests that Gen Z is highly familiar with systems built around chance, monetization, and reward structures, which increases sensitivity to issues like fairness and transparency. (King et al., 2019)

Several traits are particularly relevant for lottery and RG strategies:

• Digital literacy with low tolerance for friction. Gen Z expects intuitive design, clear rules, and immediate understanding. Complex disclosures, buried odds, or hard-to-access RG tools are unlikely to be effective. When information is accessible, clearly explained, and customized for them and their play, Gen Z is more likely to engage with it.

  
  

• Skepticism toward institutions, but openness to honesty. This generation tends to question large systems and traditional authority, including government-affiliated organizations. However, research shows that they respond positively to transparency and plain language communication, particularly when organizations clearly explain how products work and where the money goes. (Edelman Trust Barometer, 2023).  People with lived experience will be best suited to offer information to players.

  
  

• Preference for autonomy and self-boundaries. Gen Z favors tools that support informed choice rather than prescriptive or moralizing messaging. They are more receptive to “here’s how this works” than “here’s what NOT to do,” and they often view limit-setting as a sign of competence rather than a restriction. Sample tools that they can make work for them and their type of gambling is best.

• Strong alignment with values and social impact. Gen Z consumers are more likely to engage with brands that demonstrate social responsibility and consistency between stated values and actual practices. (Deloitte, 2023)

For lotteries, this means that traditional RG messaging, which is often focused on alerts, slogans, or reactionary interventions, may not be enough. Gen Z is more receptive to proactive, integrated player health approaches that feel relevant, respectful, positive, and are embedded into the play experience.

ADVERTISEMENT

What Responsible Gambling and Player Health Mean to Gen Z

For Gen Z, RG is less about warning messages and more about empowerment. Player health, from their perspective, includes accurate information, control over spending and time, and the ability to step back without judgment or stigma.

Research on young adults consistently shows stronger engagement with RG tools when they are framed as supportive, optional, and integrated into the play experience rather than presented only as moments of risk or crisis. (Gainsbury & Blaszczynski, 2011; Gainsbury et al., 2014) Specifically, Gen Z responds better to messaging that normalizes healthy play behaviors rather than treating them as exceptions.

Effective RG for this generation emphasizes:

• Plain language explanations of odds and game mechanics.

• Optional, opt-out tools such as spending reminder, time checks, and budget planning.

• Normalization of limits as a smart part of play.

• Incentivization of smart play choices.

• Support resources presented early and neutrally, not only at crisis points.

Importantly, while Gen Z is often described as more open to conversations about mental health, that does not mean clinical or heavy-handed framing is effective. Messaging that connects gambling to overall wellness (financial, emotional, social) tends to be more impactful than messages focused solely on harm prevention. (Blaszcynski et al., 2004)

ADVERTISEMENT

Practical Strategies for Lotteries to Reach Gen Z

Integrate RG into the play experience. RG tools and information are most effective when they are part of the natural play journey; for instance, during onboarding, product selection, or account setup, rather than isolated in separate sections. Research shows that integrated tools can increase awareness and use without significantly reducing enjoyment, particularly among digitally engaged players. (Gainsbury & Blaszczynski, 2011; Gainsbury et al.; 2017)

Emphasize “smart play” over warning language. Skills-based messaging, such as budgeting, understanding the odds, and setting limits, align with Gen Z’s desire for autonomy and competence. Framing RG as a way to play smarter, not less, can reduce resistance and increase engagement.

Use short-form, digital-first education. In terms of media consumption, Gen Z prefers concise, visual content that respects their time. Brief explainers, interactive quizzes, or micro-learning moments can communicate essential information more effectively than long disclaimers or static text. (Ofcom, 2022)

Normalize breaks and limits as part of healthy entertainment. Positioning pauses, spending limits, and self-checks as routine, rather than corrective, helps reduce stigma and reinforces positive norms. Research suggests that normalization increases voluntary tool use among younger players. (Hing et al., 2022)

Demonstrate authenticity and public benefit. Clearly communicating how lottery proceeds support communities, and how player protection is actively prioritized, strengthens credibility with values-driven players. Transparency builds trust, especially for a generation wary of hidden incentives or unclear systems.

ADVERTISEMENT

Looking Ahead

As Gen Z continues to enter the lottery market, the central question is not whether lotteries should adapt, but how. This generation brings different expectations around transparency, autonomy, and well-being that align closely with modern player health models.

By embedding RG into the overall entertainment experience, using clear and respectful communication, and offering tools that support informed choice, lotteries can position themselves as responsible, relevant, and trustworthy for the next generation of players. In doing so, they not only meet regulatory and public-interest goals but help ensure a sustainable generation of players built on both enjoyment and healthy play.

References:

Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., & Shaffer, H. J. (2004). A science-based framework for responsible gambling: The Reno model. Journal of Gambling Studies, 20(3)

Deloitte. (2023). 2023 Gen Z and millennial survey.

Edelman. (2023). 2023 Edelman trust barometer global report.

Gainsbury, S. M., Abarbanel, B., & Blaszczynski, A. (2017). Intensity and gambling harms: Exploring the breadth of gambling involvement among esports bettors. Gaming Law Review, 21(8)

Gainsbury, S. M., Hing, N., & Suhonen, N. (2014). Professional help-seeking for gambling problems: Awareness, barriers and motivators for treatment. Journal of Gambling Studies, 30(2)

Gainsbury, S. M., & Blaszczynski, A. (2011). Online self-guided interventions for the treatment of problem gambling. International Gambling Studies, 11(3)

Hing, N., Russell, A. M. T., Browne, M., Rockloff, M., & Greer, N. (2022). Effects of exposure to responsible gambling messages on gambling behavior and cognitions: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 11(3)

King, D. L., Delfabbro, P. H., Gainsbury, S. M., Dreier, M., Greer, N., & Billieux, J. (2019). Unfair play? Video games as exploitative monetized services: An examination of game patents from a consumer protection perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 101

King, D. L., Delfabbro, P. H., Perales, J. C., Deleuze, J., Király, O., Krossbakken, E., & Billieux, J. (2019). Maladaptive player-game relationships in problematic gaming and gaming disorder: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 73

Ofcom. (2022). Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report 2022.

Pew Research Center. (2020). On the cusp of adulthood and facing an uncertain future: What we know about Gen Z so far.