Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission filed a complaint with the state attorney general’s office regarding advertising linking the purchase of lottery tickets to a chance at a “grocery giveaway.”
On social media, the Jackpocket.com lottery app encouraged consumers to buy lottery tickets in exchange for being entered into a drawing for $300 grocery gift cards.
“The Bible speaks clearly against the exploitation of the poor and the vulnerable,” said John Litzler, CLC director of public policy.
“Offering the potential to win ‘grocery money’ in exchange for a Texas Lottery ticket is unscrupulous. Clearly, it intends to exploit a specific economic class of individuals in need of money for food.”
The “$300 Grocery Giveaway” promotion ran from April 3 to April 30. Promotional advertising promised: “Three lucky Jackpocket winners will each bag $300 in groceries! That’s a whole bunch of bread, bacon, lettuce and cheeeeeese.”
The online promotion said: “Each $1 used on Jackpocket by 4/30 automatically enters you for another chance to win $300 in Groceries—up to 100 entries per day.”
Section 466.110 of the State Lottery Act says lottery advertisements should “not be of a nature that unduly influences any person to purchase a lottery ticket or number.”
The Texas Lottery’s guidelines state: “All Texas Lottery advertising is designed in a manner to not unduly influence any person to purchase a lottery ticket or number,” and ads should not “exploit a person, specific group or economic class.”
“The Texas Lottery Commission is failing to regulate the very work they are tasked to oversee: The ethical and lawful oversight of the state lottery,” a news release from the CLC states.
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“By their own admission, they have a duty to require ethical behavior by employees, licensees and vendors. We ask the Office of the Attorney General to hold the Texas Lottery Commission accountable for this dereliction of duty and to immediately end any and all lottery promotions that exploit millions of Texans.”
The media relations director for the Texas Lottery Commission did not respond to request for comment prior to the news deadline.
Litzler sees a link between the lottery grocery giveaway advertisements and other efforts to promote and expand legalized gambling in Texas.
“The proposed sports wagering bills being considered by the Texas Legislature task the Texas Lottery Commission with the establishment of a sports wagering program and would give the Lottery Commission authority to adopt all necessary rules to administer and enforce such a program,” he said.
“The Lottery Commission is neglecting its duty to regulate the games it already offers. It should be scrutinized, not granted additional authority.”
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