TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey’s Council on Compulsive Gambling and the state lottery are advising people that they shouldn’t give lottery tickets as holiday gifts to children.
In a joint statement, the two groups say gambling at an early age can increase the risk of becoming a compulsive gambler.
New Jersey law requires lottery purchasers to be 18 or over, but does not specifically prohibit giving lottery tickets to kids. A recent Yale University study found that youngsters who received instant tickets as a gift tended to begin gambling earlier in life.
The council and the state lottery say adult problem gamblers frequently say they began gambling during childhood, often at ages 9 or 10, and with other family members.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
