The Lottery Unveils Holiday Themed Games

Special Report - November 6, 2008
The North Carolina “Education Lottery” is hoping to cash in during the holiday season by releasing three new holiday themed scratch-off games this week. The new games are being marketed as “good holiday gifts.” They are designed and advertised using the traditional red and green for Christmas with pictures of Christmas ornaments, holly, bells, presents, and Mr. Scrooge. Tickets for the “Double Holiday Cash” game are shaped like gift tags and include a “To” and “From” line. The Lottery suggests using them as gift tags or stocking stuffers.

The North Carolina Lottery Commission is aiming to increase scratch-off ticket sales to over 60 percent of lottery revenues for fiscal year 2009. Because the Commission considers the sale of scratch-off tickets to be primarily impulse buys, advertising for these games focuses on providing more point of sale materials, brighter colors, and loud “call outs” to catch customers’ attention. The Commission is planning nine media campaigns to promote scratch-off games for the 2009 fiscal year, as presented during a strategic planning meeting in October.

“While the current economic climate continues to put more pressure on the budgets of North Carolina families, the Lottery in this state continues to encourage citizens to waste money on its ‘get rich quick’ scheme,” said Tami Fitzgerald, staff attorney for the North Carolina Family Policy Council. “Preying on the joy and generosity of people during the holidays is indicative of the kind of questionable marketing in which the Lottery notoriously engages.”

Copyright © 2008. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.