A No Casinos organizer is expressing his disappointment after Governor Rick Scott rejected warning labels for Florida Lottery tickets.
No Casino’s executive director Paul Seago says the Florida Lottery has come a long way since voters approved a weekly drawing in 1986. Today, players have 11 weekly drawings and more than 80 scratch off games to choose from, and Seago says warning labels are justified.
“There have been numerous news reports that talk about how the Lottery heavily advertises in low-income communities. And to the extent that you can continue to warn folks of the potentially addictive nature is something that I think the state ought to be doing.”
But in his veto message, Scott calls the move duplicative and burdensome. He notes each ticket already trumpets a toll-free hotline and he highlights the Lottery’s “Play Responsible” program.
Scott also notes that the Lottery has contributed $31.6 billion to Florida schools since its inception.
