The World Lottery Association, an international organization representing 140 lotteries from 90 countries, has awarded the N.C. Education Lottery the Level 2 certification in its responsible gaming program. The Education Lottery is the fourth U.S. lottery to achieve this certification.

To meet the criteria for Level 2, the Education Lottery committed itself to the WLA’s principles of responsible gaming. The principles govern the protection of lottery players, cooperation with stakeholders, advertising practices and the monitoring of game activities. The Education Lottery received the certification after submitting a self-assessment of its responsible gaming practices to a WLA independent panel of experts in the field of corporate responsibility.

Among those practices are:

• An annual $1 million contribution to the N.C. Problem Gaming Program. The funds not only cover the costs of the Problem Gambling Hotline, but also the care and treatment of people in the state who develop any kind of gambling problem. In July, the Education Lottery helped sponsor the National Conference on Problem Gambling in Boston, Mass.
• Inclusion of a printed “Play Responsibly” message on every lottery ticket along with the 800 number for the N.C. Problem Gambling Helpline. The number is (877) 718-5543.
• Efforts supporting the prohibition of lottery ticket sales to minors. The lottery’s sales staff works with lottery retailers to enforce the ban. The Education Lottery also participates annually in the National Council on Problem Gambling holiday campaign to educate adults not to buy lottery tickets for youth as Christmas presents.
• Efforts to provide players easy access to the odds in Education Lottery games and information on prizes available to be won. The overall estimated odds of winning a prize are printed on each lottery ticket. The Education Lottery recently began listing on its website the number of prizes remaining at all prize levels in its instant games.

“This certification by the World Lottery Association shows our commitment to meeting the highest standards in our industry for responsible gaming,” said Alice Garland, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “Responsible gaming is an integral part of what we do every day. These practices help ensure that we can meet our mission in raising money for education while protecting the interests of those who choose to play the lottery.”