Montana Lottery Joins 2025 Gift Responsibly Campaign to Raise Awareness of Youth Gambling Risks

HELENA — The Montana Lottery today announced its commitment as a Level 1 participant of the 2025 Gift Responsibly Campaign, joining lotteries and community organizations across North America and around the world to raise awareness about the risks of underage lottery use. The campaign is organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and supported by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL).

Research supports that early exposure to or participation in gambling during childhood is highly correlated with the development of a gambling problem later in life. Gambling exposure during childhood is often through a lottery product, such as lottery tickets or scratch offs. Often these items are given to a child by an adult who is unaware of the associated risks.

“The Montana Lottery is proud to join the Gift Responsibly Campaign as a Level 1 participant. Our core mission includes responsible gaming, and protecting Montana’s youth from the potential harms of early gambling exposure is a top priority. By participating, we are reinforcing the crucial message that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for minors, and we are committed to raising awareness throughout the holiday season and beyond,” said Montana Lottery Director Bob Brown.

As a participant of the 2025 Gift Responsibly Campaign, during the month of December Montana Lottery will work to promote awareness about the risks of underage Lottery use by posting educational messages to social media.

“Youth gambling is a growing risk that too often goes overlooked. The Gift Responsibly Campaign plays a vital role in helping families and communities understand the importance of keeping lottery products out of kids’ hands,” said Derek Longmeier, President of NCPG’s Board of Directors. “We’re grateful to the Montana Lottery for joining this effort and working to expand education and awareness to protect young people from gambling-related harm.”

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About the Montana Lottery

Established by a citizen’s referendum in 1986, the Montana Lottery has a long history of giving back to the state. We’ve contributed over $2.25 million annually to Montana STEM scholarships, awarded more than $1.06 billion in prizes, and returned approximately $361.3 million to the State of Montana. Additionally, our sales agents have earned $104.5 million in commissions.