House kills bills requiring addiction warnings on lottery items

The two bills had been proposed by students as a DECA project at Centennial High School in Franklin.

They wanted warning labels on tickets and dispensers that would say: “Gambling, including playing the lottery, can be addictive.” It would include a phone number for a gambling addiction help line. Similar information would be provided on television, radio and written advertisements.

Currently, Tennessee lottery tickets and ads urge participants to “play responsibly” and there is a link to the National Council on Problem Gambling on the lottery Web site at www.TNlottery.com.

The bills, sponsored by Rep. Glen Casada, R-College Grove, were voted down with little discussion in the House State Government Committee.

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On the Net:

Read House Bill 2282/Senate Bill 2067 and HB2283/SB2066 at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us