Placing a warning regarding addiction on lottery tickets and ads is simply truth in advertising

(Orlando) – Today No Casinos President John Sowinski reacted with the following statement to a letter that former Florida Lottery Secretary and current World Lottery Association President Rebecca Paul Hargrove wrote to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.  In her letter, she asked Governor DeSantis to veto HB 629, which requires lottery tickets and advertising to bear simple statements warning payers that lottery can be addictive.

“The lottery industry would rather pretend that there are no adverse consequences to their regressive and addictive enterprise,” said Sowinski.  “Clearly there are, and Rebecca Paul Hargrove’s letter is basically an admission that if Floridians are properly warned about the addictive nature of scratch off games and other lottery products, that some will choose to not spend money on them, which is the entire purpose of this good legislation.”

Sowinski continued, “The World Lottery Association’s letter never disputes the addictive nature of these games.  The fact is that gambling enterprises, including lotteries, rely on addicts who spend a high volume of money for a large portion of their profits.  That they would object to a simple, truthful warning label is obnoxious.”