Responsible Gambling Shift
- 5 hours ago
- 22 min read
Lotteries are moving away from traditional terminology and embracing healthy and safer play.
By Insights Online
Published August 18, 2026
“Play Responsibly” has long been a key message for the lottery industry, impacting everything from game planning to marketing and messaging to players. Lotteries were an early adopter of the concept, well ahead of most other operators in the broader gambling industry. The message has served the industry well, covering the vast majority of players who are responsible social gamblers and perhaps encouraging the small minority to reconsider excessive play. Today, the message is evolving as research continues.
The center stage now goes to “player health” and “positive play” messaging – perhaps avoiding the stigma that older terms might imply. The newer language covers everyone on the spectrum of gambling behavior – from those who don’t gamble, to the vast majority who are responsible social gamblers, to the roughly 3% to 10% of players who might experience some level of gambling harm.
We asked about lotteries’ current strategies addressing responsible gambling (RG) and whether they have moved away from traditional RG messaging and towards player health and positive play strategies. As you will see in the following responses, a number of lotteries have already made a complete transition, some going even further by changing related terminology; others have adopted some elements of newer strategies while keeping familiar messages for players, and still others are evaluating their paths forward.
Lotteries were also asked how responsible gambling – or player health if that is their current strategy – is handled in their organizations. A common thread among responses is the presence of a formal or informal committee made up of staff members across key departments who collaborate on programs and initiatives. Sometimes there is one individual who acts as a lead but who may handle other tasks as well.
Finally, we asked about how lotteries communicate the messages in this area. Not surprisingly, owned channels are the predominant responses – on websites, social media, apps and loyalty programs, for example. Retail point-of-sale visibility is also a leading response. Yet there’s so much more, so be sure to browse the responses in detail.
It is fitting to discuss here the path taken by the Colorado Lottery not too long ago when it conducted a nationwide search for its first full-time Player Health Manager. The goal was to find someone with the level of skills and expertise necessary to help the Lottery take its player health program beyond what it could do on its own – researching best-in-class responsible gambling programs across the world, working with gambling support organizations and other lotteries to take the player health program to the next level. Unable to find the right person within Colorado, the Lottery received a waiver from the state to conduct a national search. That search found Amanda Quintana, then Program Manager at the National Council on Problem Gambling. She had been working within nonprofit organizations to address addiction and gambling harm through treatment and access to services, and a large portion of the work also included prevention, and she jumped at the chance to move to Colorado in January 2024.
“I took the job because it was an exciting opportunity for a new challenge,” she recalls. “I had a lot to learn, but I also had a unique opportunity to also share my insights and learnings with the Lottery team. Together, we could make a real impact to create a safer gambling environment for players.” And she’s confident in the results to date. “I think our team has been able to achieve some groundbreaking work, and hopefully inspired others in the industry to also do so.”
As always, we thank lotteries for participating in this roundup; their edited responses follow.
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Atlantic Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
Atlantic Lottery has a dedicated healthy play team focused on the continuous evolution of our healthy play strategy, programs and tools to ensure they continue to align with best practices, while supporting and collaborating with other parts of the business to integrate healthy play throughout our products and platforms.
While healthy play is the main focus of this team, the responsibility for supporting healthy play is integrated across the entire business. Promoting and enabling healthy play is a strategic pillar and embedded throughout Atlantic Lottery’s products, marketing, operations, employee training, and external partnerships. This is reflected in having healthy play-related targets on our annual corporate performance scorecard that everyone works towards.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
In recent years, we have adjusted the language we use in all public-facing information and player communications to focus on healthy play, rather than language that is stigmatizing or labeling. For example, “problem gambling” is now referred to as “concerns with gambling” or “risks associated with gambling,” while we also no longer reference “self-exclusion” and instead use the term “break in play.”
Another example of this shift was in the recent renovations at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino, which included building a larger, brighter and more prominent information center called the PlayWise Hub. PlayWise is the external brand we use to communicate healthy play initiatives with our players. This welcoming and visible area, located right next to the gaming floor, creates an inclusive and welcoming space for players to explore and have conversations with PlayWise advisors.
Our goal is for all players see themselves in healthy play and to see the benefits of using our healthy play tools. Through accessible awareness campaigns and promotions about setting limits and using other healthy play tools, the goal is to reduce the stigma associated with setting limits by encouraging and rewarding positive play.
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What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
Atlantic Lottery uses multiple forms of communication to increase gambling literacy and inform players of the tools and supports available to them. We aim to create player journeys that deliver the right message to the right player at the right time.
For example, a new online player will receive a message a few days after creating an account encouraging them to set a deposit limit, if they have not already done so. Our communications range from in-person activations at regional events, where we engage with players in an interactive way to help increase gambling literacy, to information on our website, posts and contests on social media, to pop-up time reminders. On alc.ca, we send personalized messages to players based on their play behavior.
New in 2026 is our AL Rewards program, which provides another way to engage players with conversations about their play. Because our AL Rewards program allows us a deeper understanding of our players’ habits and behaviors, we can then also encourage players to engage with an array of healthy play content and reward them for doing so.
At our Red Shores Racetrack and Casino, the Wise Words campaign in February 2026 showcased five different people from all walks of life who shared their wise words on smart gambling habits. Each visual celebrated their unique personalities and reminded everyone to “play your way” because smart habits aren’t one-size-fits-all. This campaign was shared across Red Shores’ social media channels, in-house digital screens and posters, on the race day broadcast, and in local newspaper ads.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
At BCLC we believe that safer play is a company-wide responsibility. All employees are responsible for implementing safer play considerations into their day-to-day roles; however we also have a department dedicated to safer gambling. Our Player Health team is comprised of our GameSense Programs and Training team, Advancement and Outreach team, and Programs and Integration team. Each team has their own responsibilities and areas of expertise, which are used to help strengthen and implement safer play considerations into our daily business activities.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
BCLC has been at the vanguard of player health and positive play. Besides having a dedicated Player Health department, we have been championing the role of “safer play” versus “responsible gambling” for the last two years. Responsible gambling has certain connotations which we have found can stigmatize players; for example, if a player does not play responsibly, they are irresponsible. Our transition to safer gaming helps to destigmatize the role of responsibility. This has included rebranding some of our program such as Voluntary Self-Exclusion to GameBreak and Reinstatement to Game Plan. “Safer play” allows us to craft messaging and programs that identify the risks of gambling while highlighting the means to which players can approach gaming activities from a place of knowledge and empowerment.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
Our safer play messaging takes many forms. In casinos and through our virtual program, we have our GameSense Advisors available to provide education and support to our players across all lines of business. When it comes to advertising, whether digital, print, or on social media, we ensure that all marketing and advertising ends with a Safer Gambling message as a gentle reminder to our players; we also ensure that GameSense-specific marketing materials are shared at regular intervals on all of our social media platforms as well as within any retail or casino location. And finally, we are always proud to share our insights and strategies through panels, presentations, and meaningful connections at the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference which will be happening again in Vancouver this year from November 2 -4.
California Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The California Lottery’s RG program is managed and coordinated by the Legislative and External Affairs (LEA) unit, a unit comprised of two staff members. They coordinate all RG campaigns and activities across our teams to ensure that the program deliverables are planned, implemented, and evaluated to achieve continuous improvement. In addition to the RG program, the LEA team manages the Lottery’s legislative portfolio, stakeholder engagement, and sponsorship program.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
The Lottery does not exclusively utilize Positive Play messaging. While we proactively promote responsible gaming and encourage lottery players to play within their means, the messaging also acknowledges the negative impacts problem gambling can have on individuals. Additionally, there is a focus on the positive impact treatment services can have through the promotion of the California Problem Gambling Helpline.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
We employ a multichannel, year-round communication strategy that incorporates RG messaging into nearly every touchpoint. This includes dedicated paid advertising for RG campaigns and consistent RG messaging on owned communication channels, which can include website and app, social media, on Lottery games, retail point-of-sale, public relations, and through stakeholder engagement opportunities (e.g., outreach to legislators and responsible gaming advocates like the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling and the California Council on Problem Gambling).
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Colorado Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The Colorado Lottery views responsibility as an equal pillar triad with revenue and conservation. We have a dedicated, full-time Player Health Manager with a public health background and have plans to add a second dedicated member to the player health team. Player Health Manager Amanda Quintana is solely focused on driving growth and excellence in the responsible gambling program. Her role is integrated into every critical business decision, from game development to security and claims. Last year, Quintana was elected to the National Council on Problem Gambling Board of Directors to provide national strategic direction on how operators can support the mission to reduce gambling harm and prioritize player health.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
We are actively evolving our communication strategy by rethinking the terminology. The organization is moving away from “responsible gambling” and embracing “player health” and a public health perspective. This evolution considers both the tone and content – word choice matters. To achieve this, the Lottery has adopted gambling literacy language in its efforts and incorporated the Positive Play Quiz, providing a learning opportunity for players. Additionally, the Lottery is collaborating with Greo to develop key messaging concepts based on responsible gambling research and test specific language and tone. Greo promotes health and well-being by mobilizing evidence to prevent and mitigate gambling-related harms. We are committed to continually evolving the program to increase positive player impact by ensuring its messaging resonates with players. We are also shifting from one-off campaigns with older messaging to an updated, cohesive, real-time, evidence-backed voice across operations.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
While the Lottery currently operates only through retail channels, we are preparing to launch multichannel sales within the next one to two years. This represents a rare opportunity to build a new, effective online system for player health communication from inception. In preparation for future digital sales and to evolve the most effective communication tools, the Lottery redesigned its framework to create more opportunities for Coloradans to interact with player health information, assess their own play habits, access support resources, and engage with the Lottery through yearlong educational content. We established a comprehensive, “always on,” video-heavy, highly engaging, and technically integrated player health framework. Static warnings and tips were replaced with monthly interactive digital assets, gamified player health tools, contests to drive players to our Know Your Limits web page, and proactive engagement with the MyLottery player database. These communication tools are currently delivered primarily via digital channels, including social media, retail digital POS displays, website homepage takeovers, dedicated website pages and news posts, newsletters, and some out-of-home billboards.
Georgia Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
Georgia Lottery’s Responsible Gaming program is led by the Corporate Communications Manager, who oversees responsible gaming strategy, policy development, employee education, and stakeholder engagement. Supporting that work is a cross-functional Responsible Gaming Committee made up of representatives from corporate communications, product development, iLottery, marketing, sales, and other key business areas. The committee meets regularly to review emerging best practices, regulatory developments, program performance, and new initiatives.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
We are in the process of updating our player education messaging and branding to reflect a more modern, empowering approach to responsible gaming – one that reaches all players, not just those experiencing problem gambling. Many players associate responsible gaming with problem gambling. If they don’t identify as having a “problem,” they ignore the message. Our new message will promote positive habits, like understanding the odds, using available tools, and debunking lottery myths. We will emphasize that features like timeouts, spending limits, and game knowledge benefit every player, not just those in crisis, and aim to make healthy play part of the entertainment experience.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
We take a multichannel approach to responsible gaming communications so players encounter these messages throughout their lottery experience. Our primary channels include the Georgia Lottery website, the Georgia Lottery mobile app, social media platforms, and retail point-of-sale materials. Internally, education is equally important. All Georgia Lottery employees complete annual responsible gaming training, and customer-facing employees receive enhanced training tailored to their interactions with players.
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Kentucky Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The Kentucky Lottery’s responsible gambling initiatives are overseen by our Vice President of Communications and CSR, supported by a dedicated RG Committee comprising nearly 20 key employees from areas of the organization. This committee is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of our RG program, ensuring that player protection and education are embedded throughout our operations. Our RG strategic plan, which sets clear goals and actionable steps, is reviewed quarterly to assess progress and identify opportunities for enhancement. This structured approach enables us to coordinate improvements efficiently and maintain a high standard of accountability across the organization.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
We have proactively adopted a “positive play” and “player health” messaging framework, moving beyond traditional narratives that focus solely on problem gambling. Our communications are intentionally inclusive and non-stigmatizing, designed to engage players constructively and encourage healthy gambling behaviors. By emphasizing entertainment and personal responsibility, we are empowering our players to make informed choices and be in control of their play journey. This shift reflects our commitment to fostering a supportive environment and aligns with best practices in player health promotion.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
Our RG Committee includes representatives from key departments, ensuring that positive play principles are understood and championed throughout the Kentucky Lottery. We employ a multichannel communication strategy to reach players and stakeholders, utilizing our website, mobile app, social media platforms, paid advertising, and strategic partnerships. Notably, we collaborate with a local nonprofit organization that administers two state-funded gambling disorder grants, providing us with valuable insights into the Kentucky gambling landscape. These types of partnerships enhance the effectiveness of our player health messaging and reinforce our commitment to community engagement and continuous improvement.
Loto-Québec
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
At Loto-Québec, responsible gambling is supported by specialized expertise, while also being a shared responsibility across the organization. A dedicated team helps the various business units integrate responsible gambling principles into their activities, projects and communications. One team member is specifically assigned to the lottery sector.
The team’s responsibilities include analyzing risks, developing recommendations, creating tools and awareness initiatives, and monitoring various indicators. Its members serve as advisors to teams responsible for products, customer experience, communications, marketing, technology and operations.
Loto-Québec has also established a committee of independent experts who contribute to its discussions and strategic direction in responsible gambling.
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Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
Our approach is evolving toward more positive, awareness-focused and player-centered communications. Our objective is to reach all players – not only those who may already be experiencing difficulties – and help them maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with lottery play.
Our Wise Play brand allows us to highlight and bring together our responsible gambling initiatives and messages. With its accessible, positive and engaging identity, the brand helps integrate these messages naturally into the lottery experience without being judgmental or stigmatizing.
Our communications increasingly emphasize simple guidelines that support a positive play experience: viewing lottery play as entertainment, understanding how games work and the odds of winning, setting a budget, and playing within one’s means. This approach raises awareness, encourages players to make informed choices and supports healthy play habits.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
Our responsible gambling messages are shared through various channels to reach players throughout their lottery experience. Across our lottery retailer network, these messages are displayed through in-store materials and on screens throughout the lottery sales environment. For online players, targeted campaigns and communications are delivered through our digital platforms and newsletters.
The Wise Play website is also a central source of information and advice to help players develop healthy play habits and make informed decisions. These efforts are complemented by an annual public awareness campaign.
Missouri Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
We have one full-time employee within the Communications department who has marketing duties, but focuses primarily on RG. This RG coordinator oversees our RG Committee, comprised of employees from all Missouri Lottery divisions. The committee determines an annual action plan of RG initiatives and meets quarterly to discuss those initiatives and track progress.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
Our messaging is a mixture of both traditional problem gambling messaging and positive play messaging. As part of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, the Lottery is responsible for advertising the in-state help line number (1-888-BETSOFF) for problem gamblers and their families on behalf of the Alliance.
Specific to lottery materials, we also feature positive play messaging through our Way to Play! campaign. The guiding philosophy behind Way to Play! is that the more a player knows about our games, the easier it is to play the lottery the way it should be played – for fun! To that end, we go beyond just presenting information about setting time and budget limits; we also explore the chances of winning and what those numbers really mean, as well as tackle some common lottery myths.
Each year since it launched in FY22, we have added additional Way to Play! messaging, particularly on our social media channels. “Gary Gamegood,” the face of the campaign, has become a recognizable addition to the Missouri Lottery.
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What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
Our website at MOLottery.com offers individual pages devoted to both Way to Play! and Play Responsibly content. The 888betsoff.org website is Maintained by the Lottery on behalf of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling.
On social media, there is organic year-round messaging with increased messaging during March, August and December; includes both positive play and problem gambling messaging.
Paid advertising on billboards, PSAs on TV and radio, and Pandora streaming include problem gambling/helpline messaging.
At retail locations, year-round ESMM slideshows display both Way to Play! and Bets Off messaging. Our problem gambling brochures are displayed at lottery retailers, and provided to casinos in the state on behalf of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling. We have a Play Responsibly terminal button; it recently changed from a Problem Gambling button. The new printout focuses on keeping lottery play fun.
Nebraska Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
We have one employee in our marketing department that handles responsible gaming tasks in addition to their other duties.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
Over the past four years, we have transitioned from “Please play responsibly” messaging to “Know Your Limit.” This was a request from our RG stakeholder (Nebraska Gamblers Assistance Program) to coordinate with their messaging and avoid stigmatizing players.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
The Know Your Limit phrase is displayed on Nebraska Lottery print, radio and television advertising, and social posts. There is also a dedicated Know Your Limit microsite at nelottery.com/knowyourlimit.
Between April 10 and June 8, 2025, a total of 148 Nebraska Lottery players took a survey as part of the Lottery’s Continuous Feedback Mechanism system. Of those surveyed, 41% of respondents said they had noticed the “Know Your Limit” tagline on lottery materials.
New Jersey Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
Northstar has a Manager of Responsible Gaming and Compliance, who has a focus on responsible gaming amongst other tasks. Additionally, the New Jersey Lottery’s Public Information Office team supports responsible gaming as part of their responsibilities.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
In social media posts and other public documents, we use language such as positive play, player health, and healthy play; however, we continue to refer to the program as responsible gaming. The Lottery is in the process of brainstorming alternate language to transition away from responsible gaming; part of that brainstorming is identifying how alternate language resonates amongst players (based on social media reach). We also offer a Positive Play Quiz.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
The Lottery includes responsible gaming messages on all marketing and advertising materials and on the footer on every page of its website, in addition to dedicated responsible gaming webpages, social media, and paid campaigns during our four responsible gaming campaigns throughout the year.
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New Mexico Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The New Mexico Lottery has a Responsible Gaming Coordinator who reports to the Communications Manager. RG initiatives are planned on an annual basis and encompass retailer training, player education, employee training, national awareness campaigns, certification efforts, and research. Each year, a comprehensive responsible gaming plan is developed to establish goals, priorities, and timelines. Individual project proposals are then prepared and submitted to management for review and approval.
Once a project receives approval, responsibilities are assigned to the appropriate internal staff or external partners as needed. For example, projects requiring creative assets are coordinated with the Graphic Designer to develop and finalize materials in accordance with the approved project plan.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
We have adopted the term Healthy Play to communicate our commitment to responsible gaming in a positive, player-focused manner. Drawing on best practices from Scientific Games and industry research, we developed a dedicated Healthy Play section on the New Mexico Lottery website.
The Healthy Play webpage serves as a central resource for players, providing educational videos, responsible gaming information, practical tips, and links to additional support resources. The content is designed to increase player awareness, promote informed decision-making, and encourage lottery play as a fun form of entertainment while helping players make choices that are right for them without stigmatizing or diagnosing players.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
The New Mexico Lottery utilizes multiple communication channels to promote Healthy Play messaging and ensure it reaches key audiences, often utilizing the mascot, Cash Shark, to keep the material light and relatable. Players are engaged through social media, digital marketing, and a dedicated Healthy Play webpage on nmlottery.com. Retailers receive responsible gaming information through order inserts, retailer communications, and the monthly retailer newsletter. Lottery employees are supported through in-person training sessions, educational handouts, and ongoing internal communications. This multichannel approach helps reinforce Healthy Play principles across all stakeholder groups and demonstrates the Lottery’s commitment to promoting informed and responsible play.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
OLG has a dedicated and specialized Safer Gambling team that delivers RG programs, education, support and intervention across all lines of business (Lottery, Land Based Gaming, and Digital Gaming). Within the Safer Gambling team, there are five dedicated functions: Strategy and Governance, Programs and Education, Policy and Controls, Player Risk Monitoring and Intervention, and Gaming Integrity.
OLG has a long-standing commitment to safer gambling, supported by dedicated employees and teams responsible for ensuring that a culture of safer gambling is embedded and upheld across our Ontario-wide gaming landscape.
Just as importantly, OLG leadership has consistently kept safer gambling at the forefront of decision-making, with a focus on providing gaming products and services in the best interests of Ontarians. While the team provides dedicated expertise and leadership, safer gambling remains a shared responsibility across OLG.
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Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
Yes, OLG has been evolving from traditional responsible gambling messaging toward a safer gambling and player health approach. This reflects a greater emphasis on OLG’s proactive role in creating safer gambling environments and reducing gambling-related harm through prevention, player protections, early intervention, and risk identification.
This shift is reflected in the establishment of OLG’s Safer Gambling Unit in May 2025, and the adoption of safer gambling terminology across the organization. The team monitors Player Health across all lines of business using OLG’s Player Health Index, which leverages the academically validated PGSI to set performance targets and forms a key measure within OLG’s incentive compensation framework. This helps ensure player well-being remains a core organizational priority.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
OLG’s primary channel for communicating safer gambling and player health messages is our PlaySmart program, available in every land-based casino (30), and with kiosks and rotating Advisors in all charitable gaming centres (37), which provides players with information, tools, and support across all lines of business through PlaySmart Centres in casinos, PlaySmart.ca, personalized tools such as PlaySmart, and trained frontline staff.
OLG also invests significantly in PlaySmart awareness and education campaigns delivering safer gambling messages through paid and social media, across casino and lottery retail environments, and through direct player channels including email, app notifications, and account communications. PlaySmart’ s new tagline, “With You Every Step of the Play,” reflects OLG’s commitment to supporting safer, more informed play at every stage of the customer experience. The program has achieved broad recognition and trust among Ontarians, with more than two-thirds recognizing the PlaySmart brand and four in five players reporting trust in it.
OLG delivers responsible gambling training to over 16,000 employees across corporate, digital and land-based gaming operations, and to approximately 10,000 lottery retailers, equipping them to identify and respond to players at risk of harm.
More recently, we have expanded our use of personalized and proactive communications. This includes automated messages that promote safer gambling tools and encourage players to reflect on their play at key moments, delivered to over 90,000 players. In 2025, OLG also piloted a proactive player outreach program, where trained specialists contacted players showing potential signs of elevated gambling risk. More than 8,000 calls were made over the past year, with many players choosing to adopt safeguards such as deposit limits and PlayBreaks to help support a safer and more sustainable gambling experience.
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Pennsylvania Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The Pennsylvania Lottery has a dedicated Responsible Play Manager within our Communications Office who oversees the Lottery’s responsible gambling strategy, communications, stakeholder partnerships, employee training, and WLA certification efforts. While there is a dedicated lead for the program, responsible gambling is a cross-functional effort. We work closely with our research, marketing, product, digital/iLottery, legal, and sales teams, as well as external partners including the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania (CCGP). This collaborative approach helps ensure responsible gambling is integrated throughout the player experience rather than existing as a standalone initiative.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
Yes. We’ve begun incorporating more positive, player-centered messaging that promotes informed decision-making and healthy play while continuing to provide clear information about problem gambling resources. Research has shown that supportive, stigma-reducing language is often more effective at engaging players, so we’ve updated much of our player-facing language, particularly on our iLottery platform, to better reflect those principles. At the same time, we continue to use the term “responsible gambling” when appropriate, as it’s widely recognized across the industry and by our stakeholders. Our approach is to balance player education, healthy play messaging, and access to support resources. This aligns with research that informed our “Stay Curious” lottery literacy campaign and our adoption of Scientific Games’ Healthy Play principles.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
We use a variety of channels to reach players throughout their lottery experience. Responsible gambling information is integrated across our website and iLottery platform, including player tools and educational resources. We also communicate through social media, paid advertising, retailer point-of-sale (POS) materials, prize claim information, employee and retailer training, and public awareness campaigns such as Problem Gambling Awareness Month and Responsible Gaming Education Month. In addition, our longstanding partnerships with DDAP and the CCGP allow us to amplify these messages through statewide prevention, education, and treatment initiatives.
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Tennessee Education Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The Tennessee Education Lottery has long incorporated a robust responsible gaming program into its daily operations. Oversight is led by the CEO, an RG Committee and a staff person who also is tasked with media and public relations.
The RG Committee meets quarterly and is made up of senior-level staff from across key areas of the Lottery such as sales, security, legal, internal controls, human resources, advertising, marketing and communications. This multi-faceted approach to managing the RG program has seen proven success, with an ongoing Level 4 certification from the World Lottery Association and certification at the highest level from NASPL and the National Council on Problem Gambling.
West Virginia Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
The West Virginia Lottery works together as a team to encourage players to always play responsibly and within their limits. We have a Deputy Director of Responsible Gaming, Madeleine Wymer, who manages responsible gaming tasks internally such as advertising compliance and the Statewide Self Exclusion program.
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
We have not made a transition in messaging yet. Many of our players are familiar with the Play Responsibly messaging we currently use, and we feel that it works well and encourages our players to always play within their limits.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
The West Virginia Lottery does a great job with our Play Responsibly messaging on our website, iPlay mobile application, social media pages, commercials and on any game regulated within the Lottery.
Wisconsin Lottery
How do you handle RG tasks internally?
Responsible gaming tasks are mostly handled by our responsible gaming committee, a cross-functional team of Lottery staff, who manage the responsible gaming program. Everyone at the Wisconsin Lottery works on responsible gaming to a certain degree. For example, when Wisconsin earned Level 2 certification by the World Lottery Association, nearly the entire staff had some role in either providing information, getting research together, or helping implement plans such as retailer training. Other responsible gaming responsibilities such as participating in the Gift Responsibly campaign in December or buying media during Problem Gambling Month are handled by different individuals in the marketing department. Wisconsin does have a marketing staff member who oversees all responsible gaming duties. She frequently attends national and local responsible gaming conferences, spearheads all responsible gaming committee activities, and coordinates the United States Responsible Gaming forum (an industry-wide email group she launched that shares RG information among the lottery participants).
Have you made a transition away from more traditional “problem” or “responsible” gambling messaging?
The Wisconsin Lottery has long used Please Play Responsibly and Please Gift Responsibly messaging. That being said, we have not made plans to transition to positive play or player health messaging, but rather are expanding the use of those sentiments. Wisconsin recently launched a new responsible gaming and problem gambling awareness section to our website at wilottery.com. Within this section, information such as How to be a Responsible Player, Tips for Keeping Lottery Play Safe and Secure and How to Spot the Signs are all part of a larger section of responsible gaming content. In fact, a new element to the webpage is a What are the Odds? video, helping explain how scratch odds are calculated. For the most part, the Lottery takes its cues from the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling on how to best message players and the public.
What are your primary methods of communicating these messages?
We keep players informed about responsible gaming and problem gambling mostly through digital and traditional media. Routinely, the Lottery creates or supports responsible gaming content using social media, the daily Players Club email, and wilottery.com. In addition, the Lottery advocates responsible gaming content by participating in the Gift Responsibly, Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and Responsible Gaming Education Month campaigns. The Lottery complements its responsible gaming digital marketing with traditional advertising in the form of radio spots, brochures, and retailer posters, much of which is also shared with the Wisconsin Council of Problem Gambling for use in their offices and at their conferences.
Each year, the Lottery dedicates a portion of its budget to produce radio spots, print ads, and posters that speak to problem gambling and responsible gaming. This information details the resources available for those who need help, including loved ones of those affected. These materials are released every March and are distributed throughout the state of Wisconsin all year. Posters, in three languages (English, Spanish, and Hmong), are distributed to lottery retailers and to attendees of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling conference. The radio and print ads run in several markets throughout the state. In fact, Wisconsin’s media campaigns have been recognized at the national level both inside and outside the lottery industry. All point-of-sale advertising materials includes the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling’s phone number, text hotline, and the website address.
