Oklahoma Lottery legislation

Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421

Contact: State Rep. Thad Balkman
Capitol: (405) 557-7386
District: (405) 447-4988

House Approves "Truth in Advertising" for Lottery

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 16) - State lawmakers supported legislation this
week that requires "truth in advertising" when officials promote the new
state lottery.
 House Bill 1431, by State Rep. Thad Balkman, would bar the use
of actors to portray lottery winners in advertisements and requires a
"statement warning of the harmful effects of playing the lottery" in all
lottery ads.
 "This bill simply requires full disclosure whenever the state
promotes lottery games," said Balkman, R-Norman. "In other states,
advertising often gives the impression that winning is not only
possible, but probable, and they use that false promise to convince
low-income people to squander their money.
 "The truth is you're not going to win the lottery and ads should
admit it upfront. If you know you have no chance of winning and you
still choose to play, that's your decision, but you shouldn't be tricked
into buying tickets by misleading advertising."
 House Bill 1431 requires the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to
"disclose the odds of winning with respect to each lottery game by
stating the odds in lottery game advertisements or by posting the odds
at each place in which lottery tickets are sold by a lottery retailer."
 Lottery ads would also include a toll-free hot-line number for
problem and compulsive gamblers if the bill becomes law.
 The measure also requires the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to
prepare an annual report stating the total number of tickets sold, the
amount of revenue generated from the sale of such tickets, and the
number and amounts of prizes awarded in the game, with the report made
available for public inspection.
 Balkman noted that the bill also provides a stable funding
source for treating problem gamblers.
 When voters approved lottery and casino gaming questions last
November, those two state questions created a duplication of government
services, Balkman said.  The lottery question designated the Oklahoma
Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services as the entity
that would handle treatment efforts, while the casino question
designated the state Department of Human Services as the agency to
provide gambling addiction services. 
 "My bill, reflecting an agreement between the two agencies,
makes the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services the
sole agency overseeing gambling addiction treatment," Balkman said. "It
also states that the funding source for treatment will be the Lottery
Commission instead of unclaimed prize money."
 Gambling addiction programs at the Department of Mental Health
and Substance Abuse Services would receive $500,000 per year from the
Oklahoma Lottery Commission if the bill becomes law.
 In addition to the $500,000, the bill would require that an
amount equal to 1 percent of annual lottery advertising expenditures be
provided to the agency for the treatment of compulsive gamblers.
 House Bill 1431 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on
a 98-0 vote. The bill now heads to the Oklahoma Senate.
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