Maryland Lottery Offers Reminder to ‘Gift Responsibly’ This Holiday Season

Annual campaign expands to include ‘Too Young to Bet’ message

BALTIMORE (December 2, 2025) – As holiday-season festivities get underway and you’re shopping for the family and friends on your list, the Maryland Lottery encourages you to play and gift responsibly and remember that Lottery tickets are not an appropriate gift for children.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming is once again proud to lend its voice to an annual effort by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to raise awareness about the risks of youth gambling. Traditionally aimed at discouraging adults from giving lottery tickets to children, NCPG has broadened and rebranded the program as the “Gift Responsibly / Too Young to Bet Campaign,” in an effort to expand its message beyond lottery tickets.

“Responsible play messages are part of all Lottery advertising, and we require all of the gambling operators we regulate to include them as well,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “An important part of responsible play is understanding the age limits that are in place.”

Under State of Maryland laws, 18 is the minimum age to purchase and play Lottery games or participate in daily fantasy sports; and the minimum legal age to enter a casino or participate in sports wagering is 21.

“We’re very careful about how Lottery tickets are designed and marketed in order to make sure that they don’t appeal to children,” Martin said. “We also ensure that gaming operators have robust processes in place to prevent underage participation.”

In April, the Maryland Lottery was approved at the highest level possible in the Responsible Gambling Verification Program, which is jointly operated by NCPG and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). The program requires lotteries to continually evaluate and expand their responsible play efforts in several areas including marketing, player education, and employee and retailer training. The recognition came after the Maryland Lottery spent 2015-2022 advancing through all four levels of certification offered by the World Lottery Association, an international organization with a separate responsible gambling framework and criteria.

Maryland residents can receive help at no cost for any matters related to problem gambling by calling the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline or visiting mdgamblinghelp.org. Calling the helpline will connect you with staff from the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, including peer counselors who have lived-experience with disordered gambling.

“If you’re concerned about someone in your life who’s having issues around gambling — especially if it’s a young person — there is support available for free,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming’s Responsible Gambling Director Jasmine Countess. “The Center of Excellence staff can help you figure out how to get the conversation started.”