Is it legal to buy NJ lottery tickets as gifts for children?

Looking for that perfect stocking stuffer?

Lottery tickets may seem like an easy choice to slip into that stocking hanging over the mantle or in a card for a relative or friend. But be careful.

New Jersey law requires lottery purchasers to be 18 years of age.

"During the holiday season and throughout the year, the Lottery is deeply committed to the prevention of underage gambling," New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James A. Carey Jr. said.

The New Jersey Lottery has teamed up with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, the National Council on Problem Gambling, and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University to build public awareness that lottery products are not an appropriate gift for minors.

The Lottery is launching a holiday advertising campaign that includes the messaging, "Tis the season to gift responsibly. Lottery Tickets Aren't Child's Play."

Felicia Grondin, executive director of CCGNJ said she is urging parents to use good judgment in making gift selections for their children and to refrain from giving them lottery tickets.

Since 1983, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc. has helped problem and compulsive gamblers and their families. They operate the most widely recognized gambling help number in the nation, the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline.

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