Moderated by Sarah Taylor, Hoosier Lottery, Executive Director, and WLA CSR Committee Chair with panelists Lisa Couperus, Responsible Gaming Council, Shaun Kim Tiam Fook Chong, Deputy CEO at Lottotech, Lissa Mencia, Director General Lottery and Gaming Operations at Loto Honduras, and Ronald Cho, Senior Director, Commercial, APAC at OpenBet, the session looked at ways lotteries assist emerging adults, what worked and how they measured it.
In her open address, Taylor noted how emerging adults encounter gambling and gambling-like activities in many different settings and that education needs to help them recognize when money is at risk, understand what they can afford tospend and know where to find support.
She also explained that it was important to distinguish prevention for young people from marketing to adults who are legally eligible to play.
“School and community education should help prevent harm. Product marketing must respect the legal age requirements of the jurisdiction.”
Describing a 2025 survey of students ages 18 to 25 at participating Indiana colleges that found 23.3 percent of respondents had played the lottery in the previous year, and lottery had the highest participation rate among the gambling categories asked about in that survey, Taylor commented:
“Those findings are a reason to keep lotteries firmly in the prevention conversation. We need to understand the people playing our games and whether they understand the risks. The attention given to newer products does not reduce our own responsibility.”
Lisa Couperus, talked about the Responsible Gaming Council 360 approach to working with all stakeholders to prevent gambling and reduce risk. She highlighted different programs and services for industry and the public and explained gambling and risk factors in young adults.
Shaun Kim Tiam Fook Chong of Lottotech noted how on a small island the lottery had a big responsibility, and that while there were few young player adults, they were still at risk.
“Our duty and strength we can act early and together to help young people.”
The lottery worked hard to gain public trust, also through repeated successful Level 4 certification to the WLA RG Framework.
Lissa Mencia, from Loto Honduras noted how the next generation is already playing with 51% of frequently playing young adults in a country where 95% of sales in retail and only 5% online. However Mencia underscored:
“As products become more digital, immediate and interactive, Responsible Gaming must be embedded in the experience from the start.”
The lottery hasvisible 21 + messaging and ID verification, it also has player defined limits, self exclusion options and alerts and monitoring of player behaviour. Education plays a key part with employee and retailer training and clear product information.
“Building trust with the next generation beings with responsibility.”
Ronald Cho from OpenBet, emphasized the need to focus on young adults because of three key factors that could increase their vulnerability: new found independence, limited experience and instant access to gambling products.
“Being legally old enough to gamble doesn’t mean you’re experienced enough to recognize the risks.”
Through itsproducts OpenBet helps lotteries recognize the patterns that could reveal potential risk, by monitoring individual behaviour that may seem harmless, for instance increased playing frequency, higher spending, longer sessions and late-night activity.
