Illinois Lottery Encourages Players to 'Sign Your Ticket' during Responsible Gaming Education Week

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- August 4 kicked off Responsible Gaming Education Week and, in honor of the occasion, the Illinois Lottery is encouraging players to sign the back of their lottery tickets.  Lottery officials encourage players to get in the habit of signing the back of all Lottery tickets immediately after purchase. This, in turn, will help ensure a smooth claims process for all winning tickets.

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During Responsible Gaming Education Week, the Illinois Lottery will outfit its retailers with material to give away to customers outlining the importance of signing the back of their lottery tickets. This message will also appear on the Lottery's website and social media pages.

"Lottery tickets are bearer instruments, which means whoever presents the ticket is entitled to payment. Once there is a player's signature on the back, it makes it virtually impossible for someone else to claim the prize," said Lottery Superintendent, Michael Jones. "We want everyone who wins a prize to claim it quickly and without incident—and that's what the signature on the back provides."  

The Illinois Lottery also provides educational tools for its players year-round in the Winners' Handbook located on its website – www.illinoislottery.com . This document helps people navigate the lottery claims process and other areas that await a new lottery winner.

Responsible Gaming Education Week was created by the American Gaming Association (AGA) in 1998 to increase awareness of problem gambling among gaming industry employees and customers and to promote responsible gaming nationwide. The AGA and the entire gaming industry realize that education is essential to promoting responsible play and increasing awareness of gambling disorders, and RGEW provides organizations with an opportunity to expand on work they do every day educating employees and patrons about the issue.

About Illinois Lottery
Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed $18 billion to the state's Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund. Players must be at least 18 years old.

Contact: Chanele Newton 312-368-5814

SOURCE Illinois Lottery