Issue 45 | March 2020

Lottery LinkResponsible play is good for business

We want the same thing. We want to run our businesses in a way that keeps them successful and sustainable for years to come.

What if I told you that the only way to do that is through promoting responsible play — would you believe me?

You see, goals of increasing sales every year and being a socially responsible organization at first seem to be at odds. They’re not. Success requires achieving both at the same time.

We see working responsibly in the production, promotion and sale of lottery tickets not only as the right thing to do, but as a best practice for both our business and yours.

We hope you see it that way, too.

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. We encourage you to keep having the conversation with your staff and continue to share resources with anyone who needs help.

Thank you for joining our efforts to encourage responsible play.

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month

Mark MichalkoExecutive Director NC Education Lottery

“We are the

only U.S. lottery to

increase sales every

year since inception

and we do it by being

one of the most

responsible lotteries

in the world.”

Did you know you have a discreet way to share problem gambling resources at your store? Check it out:

• Helpline Button: Use the Problem Gambling button on the lottery terminal to easily and discreetly share the toll-free, 24/7 helpline number with a customer: 1-877-718-5543.

Did you know there are free resources for North Carolinians with a gambling problem?

• Free resources and treatment – at no cost – are available to anyone who is concerned about their own gambling or that of a loved one. Each time you share the problem gambling helpline information with a customer, you’re helping to provide free treatment to someone who needs it. If players aren’t interested in calling to receive help, they can also text or chat by:

• Texting: morethanagamenc to 53342

• Chatting online at: www.morethanagamenc.com

Help Your Customers

Play SmartWhen a customer has a question about a product in your store, you’re there to help them. The same is true about lottery games. You can help your customers make informed choices by helping them understand how the games work. Here’s a closer look at a few tools you have just a few steps away from your counter — the lottery’s Play Center.

From odds to prizes, our How To Play Flipbooks keep players up-to-date on all our scratchers. You can also tell players they can find odds on the back of scratch-offs and on our website.

Know the game

DOES PLAYING LOTTERYNO LONGER SEEM FUN?HELP IS AVAILABLECALL 877-718-5543

Be on the

lookout for

more resources

coming your

way soon.

On Jan. 13, we launched a new responsible gaming program called Play Smart. You might have seen the commercials with the Play Smart coach, or perhaps you’ve seen the point-of-sale or our new Play Smart website.

We are just getting started with Play Smart. More resources, more tips and more fun are right around the corner. For example, a two-sided brochure coming soon to your Play Centers. One side is the Play Smart message, helping to inform players on how lottery games work. The other side is the problem gambling helpline information, but with a new and improved message.

How to share the problem gambling message with customers

We know that having this conversation with a customer might be difficult. Here are some tips to help make it easier:

1. If you feel you have a relationship with a customer, you can ask to share some information that might be able to help them. This is a case where you can give the customer the helpline number.

2. If you do not know the customer very well, you can use the Helpline Button. Just give the printout, which looks like a ticket, to a player along with their lottery purchase or prize winnings. You can place the slip in the middle of their tickets, or, if they ask why you gave them the slip, you can say the terminal randomly prints them after transactions.

3. If you still are worried about having that interaction, you can direct players to the Play Smart brochure by saying something along the lines of,

They get the brochure with the message they need, and you don’t have to mention problem gambling.

“Hey, you seem to really enjoy learning about lottery games. This program

called Play Smart is like the lottery’s playbook and gives you the inside scoop

on lottery games. It’s over in the Play Center. You should check it out.”

1

2

3

Lucky numbers, favorite numbers, or Quick Pick – it doesn’t matter how you play. Each play is random and prior results don’t mean a thing. Our How To Play Brochures for our draw games will up your game.

How often do you get the question: Where does the money go? Our Beneficiary Brochures show how the money raised by the lottery helps your county.

Share where

the money goes

Coming soon.

Did you Know?

NCEL Holiday ClosingsGood Friday - Friday, April 10

Memorial Day - Monday, May 25

Independence Day - Friday, July 3

Labor Day - Monday, September 7

Bust the Myths

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month

State law prohibits the sale of lottery tickets to a person under the age of 18. Always ask for identification before the sale of any lottery ticket.

How can you tell if someone is younger than 18? Check the person’s ID. On North Carolina driver’s license and identification cards, look for a red border around the photo. Check date of birth closely and use “Legal Sell Age” located on your terminal home screen for assistance.

Check ID! No Lottery Sales to Minors

Oh hey there, myth buster. Put your skills to the test. Can you bust the following lottery myths?

• Purchasing multiple tickets improves the odds of winning. MYTH. The odds do not improve based upon the number of tickets you buy. Let’s put it into perspective. If the odds of winning a prize are 1 in 4, it does not mean that if you buy four tickets you’ll have a winner. You could buy four tickets and lose on all four, win on all four or fall somewhere in between.

• Playing the same numbers increases the chance of winning.MYTH. Lottery drawings are completely random events. Previous results have no bearing on future drawing outcomes. This means that for every lottery drawing, each number has an equal chance of being drawn and every set of numbers has the same chance of winning.

• You can improve your chances of winning the lottery.MYTH. Playing the lottery is a game of chance, not skill. That means that no matter how much you think you’re improving your odds of winning or likelihood of hitting a jackpot, you aren’t. The only choice you have that’ll influence your chances of winning is buying a ticket. Remember, it just takes one ticket to win.

Want to learn more about common lottery myths? Check it out online at

NCELottery.com/PlaySmart.