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Community DC Randy Burnside | DC Lottery | Gift Responsibly · Community D.C.

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  Speaker 1: Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Community d C.
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  Speaker 1: I'm your host Dennis Glasgow. This morning we get an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to visit with Randy Burnside. He is the executive
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  Speaker 1: director for the DC Lottery and here to speak on
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  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty five Gift Responsibly campaign to raise awareness
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  Speaker 1: about youth and gambling risks. Here's my conversation and a
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  Speaker 1: very educational chat with Randy. I hope you enjoyed it
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  Speaker 1: as much as I did. Good morning, Randy, Good morning dear. Well,
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  Speaker 1: it's great to have you on Community DC and we're
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  Speaker 1: here for a very important thing. Is you know with
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  Speaker 1: DC Lottery, you know, there are so many working parts
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  Speaker 1: and we're so appreciative of your time, but there's also
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  Speaker 1: some really great messages out there and it's about gift Responsibly.
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  Speaker 1: And what I want to do first though, is I
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  Speaker 1: want to talk about your role with DC Lottery and
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  Speaker 1: then we could talk all about Gift Responsibly. Because I've
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  Speaker 1: heard the commercials on the air, I've seen the messaging
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  Speaker 1: out there. It's a real good message out there. But
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  Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about your role with DC Lottery.
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  Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me, and absolutely, as you said,
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  Speaker 2: my name's Randy Burnside and I'm the executive director of
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  Speaker 2: the DC Lottery. I'm actually only in my seventh month
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  Speaker 2: in my role, and I've come to DC after serving
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  Speaker 2: at the West Virginia Lottery as the assistant director of
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  Speaker 2: the last several years. And like you said, it's the
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  Speaker 2: holiday season, you've seen a lot of messaging around gift responsibly.
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  Speaker 2: What does that mean. Well, this time of year, folks
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  Speaker 2: like to give lottery tickets often to their friends, and
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  Speaker 2: it's a common thing and it's great when you're an adult.
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  Speaker 2: But what we're trying to do is get the message
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  Speaker 2: out there that lottery tickets are not child's play. Children
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  Speaker 2: under eighteen shouldn't be getting lottery tickets. And the reason
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  Speaker 2: for that is when you look at all of the
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  Speaker 2: statistics that the industry has on this introduction to gambling
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  Speaker 2: during childhood is often through a scratch off ticket that
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  Speaker 2: an adult has given to a child and they're just
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  Speaker 2: unaware of the associated risks that come with that. And
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  Speaker 2: research says that when that kid is exposed early on,
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  Speaker 2: it can really cause gambling issues later in life, increase
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  Speaker 2: their tendency to have addiction problems. So we feel that
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  Speaker 2: this is a really important conversation to have for the
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  Speaker 2: protection of children in our community. And as you mentioned,
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  Speaker 2: you know, the DC Lottery, we're the regulatory body that
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  Speaker 2: sells lottery, and we want a lot of people to
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  Speaker 2: play a little bit and stay within their means, and
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  Speaker 2: we definitely do not want we do not want children
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  Speaker 2: playing with lottery tickets. You know, that's something that as
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  Speaker 2: we do our jobs. You know, for forty years, we've
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  Speaker 2: made great contributions to the district of the Lottery. That's
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  Speaker 2: why we exist is the betterment of our people and
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  Speaker 2: all that contributions that we make to the general fund
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  Speaker 2: every year that benefits everyone who lives, works, and visits
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  Speaker 2: thee And we just want to make sure that you know,
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  Speaker 2: people understand that lottery tickets are for adults only.
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  Speaker 1: When it comes to the data, and I don't know
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  Speaker 1: how long it's been compiled for, but when it comes
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  Speaker 1: to that and about what you're talking about, specifically about
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  Speaker 1: making sure that people under the age of eighteen aren't
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  Speaker 1: playing or gift of these tickets, what is the data
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  Speaker 1: showed you? Because I know there's always an origin story
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  Speaker 1: to win that started and got on somebody's radar, but
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  Speaker 1: how long have you been following it to make sure
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  Speaker 1: that you guys are doing the right thing.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the NCPG has done this for decades, and state
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  Speaker 2: lotteries have been in existence since some in the nineteen seventies.
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  Speaker 2: Here at DC, we've had a lottery since eighty two.
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  Speaker 2: So this is something that we do take very seriously
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  Speaker 2: and we've looked at and there is a lot of
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  Speaker 2: research out there on it, and some of these things
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  Speaker 2: are kind of scary when you think about it, Dennis,
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  Speaker 2: because one of the statistics that I've also seen, and
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  Speaker 2: this really surprised me, is that fifty percent of our
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  Speaker 2: kids in grades six through eight have already engaged in
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  Speaker 2: some form of gambling in their lives. Wow. Now think
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  Speaker 2: about that, just you know, children in six to eighth grade.
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  Speaker 2: So it's something that I think is important as a regulator.
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  Speaker 2: We are very big on our responsible gaming message, and
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  Speaker 2: the Gift Responsibly campaign is really something where every single
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  Speaker 2: lottery in the United States comes together and we want
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  Speaker 2: to push this message at the same time. And it's
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  Speaker 2: something that's spearheaded by the NCPG and actually all of
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  Speaker 2: our Canadian province lotteries also participate in it. So it's
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  Speaker 2: most of North America that's behind this, and the goal
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  Speaker 2: is to get people to have important conversations, the adults
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  Speaker 2: with others in their life to make sure that they
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  Speaker 2: understand that, you know, say no for kids to play.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I'm glad you brought that up, because anytime
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  Speaker 1: I talk to a nonprofit or if there's a charitable angle,
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  Speaker 1: we always talk about messaging at home. I'm a parent,
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  Speaker 1: even though I have a twenty three year old, but
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  Speaker 1: I remember it was relying on myself and my wife,
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  Speaker 1: whatever morals or codes we were talking about, to talk
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  Speaker 1: about that at home. And I think your message really
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  Speaker 1: rings true, and I want to talk about how you
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  Speaker 1: are messaging out there in just a moment. But with
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  Speaker 1: that said, when we're talking to all the parents or
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  Speaker 1: the guardians out there, to make sure you're having conversations
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  Speaker 1: whether it's at the dinner table or a few minutes
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  Speaker 1: when the kids come home, about about this exact topic
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  Speaker 1: and making sure that the message is regular. I imagine
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  Speaker 1: you would agree with that.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I one percent agree with that. I'm a father too.
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  Speaker 2: I have a nineteen year old son and I have
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  Speaker 2: a thirteen year old daughter, so this is near and
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  Speaker 2: dear to my heart, and I think everyone can relate
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  Speaker 2: to that. And when you look at why this happens,
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  Speaker 2: it makes sense because research also tells us that eighty
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  Speaker 2: percent of Americans enjoy playing the lottery responsibly most of
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  Speaker 2: the time. And when you're having fun doing something, you
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  Speaker 2: want to share it with your friends and family, So
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  Speaker 2: it only makes sense that they would want to gift
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  Speaker 2: tickets to friends and relatives. But the problem comes when
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  Speaker 2: it involves a child. And I think by that conversation
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  Speaker 2: that you mentioned and the conversation that we're having now,
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  Speaker 2: the social media engagement that we do at the Lottery
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  Speaker 2: with our responsible gaming messaging helps give the tools for
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  Speaker 2: folks to have those talks.
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  Speaker 1: And as a sidebar, no for our listeners, everybody knowing
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  Speaker 1: that I'm a girl dad, thoughts and prayers for Randy
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  Speaker 1: having a thirteen year old daughter.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you for that. Gladly accept that I appreciate that
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  Speaker 2: she's thirteen going on twenty one.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what mine was doing too, so buckle in. Okay,
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  Speaker 1: that's all I got to slide. But it's great being
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  Speaker 1: a girl dad too. So I did want to talk
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  Speaker 1: to you about the importance of the messaging that you're
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  Speaker 1: putting out there, and I know there's many ways the
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  Speaker 1: DC Lottery is doing that, and there's all sorts of
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  Speaker 1: different platforms because as you know having a teenager and
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  Speaker 1: an older son too, that there's all different platforms that
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  Speaker 1: kids are on and adults are on, and the message
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  Speaker 1: has to go in many different funnels and buckets out there.
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  Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit about that.
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  Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely. So we're sharing this message and the campaign
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  Speaker 2: through radio interviews like we're doing right now, the conversation
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  Speaker 2: we're having social media through our multiple social media channels.
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  Speaker 2: We do trainings for our retail partners to understand the
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  Speaker 2: signs of problem gambling and making sure that the rules
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  Speaker 2: are followed in store signage, digital advertising. It really never ends.
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  Speaker 2: Even on our tickets. We make sure that we have
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  Speaker 2: responsible gaming messaging and the Gift Responsibly campaign is just
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  Speaker 2: one aspect of our overall hierarchy of responsible gaming that
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  Speaker 2: we do. We prioritize the health of our community first
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  Speaker 2: and foremost above profits, and that's where government run lotteries
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  Speaker 2: do it better, because we exist for our people and
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  Speaker 2: it's a factor in everything that we do, our responsible
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  Speaker 2: gaming techniques, tools, messaging, We care about the well being
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  Speaker 2: of our community, and as the executive director of the
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  Speaker 2: DC Lottery, my number one priority is what's best for
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  Speaker 2: the district and everything that we do, and that's something
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  Speaker 2: I challenge my team with. So this responsibility campaign, the
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  Speaker 2: responsible gaming campaign that we have, our overall programs that
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  Speaker 2: we have throughout the year are first and foremost on
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  Speaker 2: our minds and what we do. And I just hope
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  Speaker 2: that a lot of adults take the time to educate
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  Speaker 2: themselves and they can do that real easily by going
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  Speaker 2: to our website Dclottery dot com and clicking on our
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  Speaker 2: responsible Gaming page. There's a lot of great resources and
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  Speaker 2: information there.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Randie, this is a great segue, and I know
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  Speaker 1: that my next question could be its own full podcast.
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  Speaker 1: But when we talk about youth and gambling to be
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  Speaker 1: identified and then being addressed, can you talk about that
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  Speaker 1: a little bit?
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  Speaker 2: Sure? Absolutely so. Experts identify several behavioral things to look for.
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  Speaker 2: Shifts and behavior withdrawing from family and friends and neglecting
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  Speaker 2: responsibilities like your chores or homework at home are all
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  Speaker 2: signs of potential problem gambling, and we recommend that people
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  Speaker 2: educate themselves and others about the potential risk by just
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  Speaker 2: talking with their family and friends about it, Like, Hey,
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  Speaker 2: did you know I read this statistic and found out
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  Speaker 2: that this is a serious issue and we need to
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  Speaker 2: talk about it with our kids and the adults that
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  Speaker 2: are in our lives. And so when you go to
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  Speaker 2: choose gifts this time of year for your children, please
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  Speaker 2: find something that inspires creativity and learning and those kind
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  Speaker 2: of things. Keep the lottery tickets for your adult friends.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I love it when adults share the gift
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  Speaker 2: of lottery with other adults. It's not a good thing
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  Speaker 2: with kids. And you just got to remember the tagline
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  Speaker 2: lottery tickets aren't child's play, right, That's the easiest thing
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  Speaker 2: to know. Now. If you do have a problem, though, Dennis,
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  Speaker 2: and you've recognized, and it may not be underage gaming,
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  Speaker 2: it may be a friend that spends too much, they
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  Speaker 2: can't stay within their means. You notice these kind of
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  Speaker 2: behaviors in them, You're not alone and helps available. That's
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  Speaker 2: another important message I want to put across. There are
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  Speaker 2: resources and tools that are available to help people with
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  Speaker 2: problem gaming. You can call, text, or chat with the
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  Speaker 2: National Council Problem Game when it's twenty four hour confidential
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  Speaker 2: helpline at one eight hundred five two two four seven
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  Speaker 2: zero zero, and that's where professionals can can help you.
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  Speaker 2: And you can also get more information on our website
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  Speaker 2: at Dclottery dot com.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, and at the end of our conversation, we'll give
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  Speaker 1: that information this one more time. I know people are
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  Speaker 1: probably googling it renaw, but we'll do that again. I
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  Speaker 1: did want to circle back to one thing, and you
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  Speaker 1: did touch on it briefly, but I think it's important
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  Speaker 1: to talk about it again when it comes to positive impact.
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  Speaker 1: And as you said, most people understand the lottery is
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  Speaker 1: a form of entertainment, but there's more to the DC
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  Speaker 1: Lottery than that. So what are some of the lottery's
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  Speaker 1: positive impacts in the lives of everyday district residents and visitors.
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  Speaker 2: Well, thank you so much for asking. You know, since
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  Speaker 2: our inception in nineteen eighty two, the DC Lottery has
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  Speaker 2: awarded more than four point eight billion in prize. Wow,
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  Speaker 2: so think about that. That's a lot of winning going
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  Speaker 2: on for folks who play our games. We've also transferred
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  Speaker 2: more than two point four billion to the district's general fund,
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  Speaker 2: and that goes to support essential services, including education, housing,
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  Speaker 2: public safety, infrastructure, a myriad of things through the general fund.
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  Speaker 2: That is why we exist to try to improve the
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  Speaker 2: lives of the people of the District of Columbia. Then
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  Speaker 2: our retail partners, and a lot of these are small businesses,
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  Speaker 2: their mom and pop stores that you see throughout the city.
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  Speaker 2: They've earned more than five hundred million in commission since
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  Speaker 2: nineteen eighty two, my goodness, so that's a significant impact
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  Speaker 2: on them. And then our local nonprofits have raised more
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  Speaker 2: than one hundred and forty million in support of good
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  Speaker 2: social causes through charitable gaming activities that the lottery also licenses.
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  Speaker 2: So if you've got a charity out there that you're
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  Speaker 2: a part of and you're looking to host something that's
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  Speaker 2: a little bit different, a fun, innovative fundraiser such as
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  Speaker 2: a raffle or a bingo or a Monte Carlo Knight,
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  Speaker 2: give us a call and check in to see about
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  Speaker 2: a charitable gaming license. That's a great way to help
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  Speaker 2: your charitable organization.
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  Speaker 1: Those are huge numbers. You've got to be so proud.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, that's a lot of giving back exactly.
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  Speaker 2: That's why we do what we do DC, and it's
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  Speaker 2: one hundred percent the reason I came here. I wanted
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  Speaker 2: to be somewhere where I could make a difference and
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  Speaker 2: help folks. And I think our lottery does a fantastic
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  Speaker 2: job and we're going to work hard every day to
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  Speaker 2: be better and better and serve the people of DC.
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  Speaker 1: All right, well, Randy, we only have a few minutes left,
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  Speaker 1: so let's kind of recap what we had talked about,
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  Speaker 1: and lastly tell our audience how about learning about gifting
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  Speaker 1: responsibly and the DC Lottery with phone numbers and if
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  Speaker 1: there is a gambling issue, you've got help in many
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  Speaker 1: different areas there and of course the website. The floor
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  Speaker 1: is your sir.
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  Speaker 2: All right, well, thank you so much. Again, the DC
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  Speaker 2: Lottery is here for the district. That's why we exist
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  Speaker 2: in this holiday season. Remember that lottery tickets are not
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  Speaker 2: child's play. If you're going to give the gift of lottery,
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  Speaker 2: make sure it's an adult. If you do see someone
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  Speaker 2: who has a problem, help is available. Again. The ncpg's
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  Speaker 2: hotline is always there for someone in need, and that's
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  Speaker 2: an easy phone call at one eight hundred five two
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  Speaker 2: two four seven zero zero. And if you have any
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  Speaker 2: questions or anything at all about gaming in the district,
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  Speaker 2: responsible gaming, where the money goes. All the different activities
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  Speaker 2: that fall under the lottery umbrella. Go to dclottery dot com.
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  Speaker 2: All the information you need is there, and for more
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  Speaker 2: information on the Gift Responsibly program, go to social media
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  Speaker 2: and just hashtag gift responsibly and you can find a
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  Speaker 2: lot of stuff out there outstanding.
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  Speaker 1: Randy really enjoyed the conversation and thanks for the education
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  Speaker 1: and everything, and thanks for the partnership. We really appreciate it,
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  Speaker 1: and thank you so much for joining us on community DC.
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  Speaker 2: Well, thanks so much for having me.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you my Guild of THEOS and make good world
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  Speaker 1: a better place.
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  Speaker 2: Learn more at She Can stemp Un. Message brought you
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  Speaker 2: by the AD Council