NASPL Advertising Standards by George Anderson, April 1999
Tone:
· The lottery should not be promoted in derogation of nor as an alternative to employment, nor as a financial investment, nor a way to achieve financial security.
· Lottery advertisements should not be designed so as to imply urgency, should not make false promises, and should not present winning as the probable outcome.
· Advertising should not denigrate a person who does not buy a lottery ticket nor unduly praise a person who does buy a ticket.
· Advertising should emphasize the fun and entertainment aspect of playing lottery games and not imply a promise of winning.
· Advertising should not exhort the public to wager by directly or indirectly misrepresenting a person’s chance of winning a prize.
· Advertising should not imply that lottery games are games of skill.
Minors:
· Persons depicted as lottery players in lottery advertising should not be, nor appear to be, under the legal purchase age.
· Age restriction should, at a minimum, be posted at the point of sale.
· Advertising should not appear in media directed primarily to those under the legal age.
· Lotteries should not be advertised at venues where the audience is reasonably and primarily expected to be below the legal purchase age.
· Advertising should not contain symbols nor language that are primarily intended to appeal to minors or those under the legal purchase age.
· The use of animation should be monitored to ensure that characters are not associated with animated characters on children’s programs. · Celebrity or other testimonials should not be used that would primarily appeal to persons under the legal purchase age.
Game information:
· Odds of winning must be readily available to the public and be clearly stated.
· Advertising should state alternative case and annuity values where reasonable and appropriate.
Beneficiaries:
· Lotteries should provide information regarding the use of lottery proceeds.
· Advertising should clearly denote where lottery proceeds go, avoiding statements that could be confusing or misinterpreted.