Annual Responsible Gambling
Holiday Campaign

The CT Lottery is holding its 12th annual “Give a Toy, Not a Ticket” Holiday Toy Drive. We are partnering with Yale New Haven Hospital’s (YNHH) Toy Closet to bring joy to children spending the holidays at YNHH hospitals, Emergency Departments and Pediatric Specialty Centers. Your donations will provide each pediatric patient an age-appropriate toy or small gift when they are discharged from Yale New Haven Children's Hospital throughout the year.

This year’s campaign is running from November 1, 2025 through December 19, 2025 to help keep the YNHH Toy Closet stocked, while also spreading the Responsible Gambling message that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children. 

Over the last 11 years, the CT Lottery has donated more than 30,000 toys to programs such as the YNHH Toy Closet. Since the program runs year-round, the annual need for donated toys is great—upwards of 80,000—ranging from a simple deck of cards or matchbox car, to the more substantial, such as tablets and video games.

Since 2008, the CT Lottery has partnered with the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) during the holidays to promote the message that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children.

If you or someone you know is affected by a gambling problem, please call the CT Council on Problem Gambling’s Helpline at 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org for more information.

Toy Drive Information

Toy & Gift Suggestions

2022 NCPG Award

We are a proud recipient of the National Council on Problem Gambling 2022 Gift Responsibly Campaign Award for our 2021 Holiday "Give a Toy, Not a Ticket" toy drive. Our annual "Give a Toy, Not a Ticket" campaign is geared towards reminding players that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children, and we leverage all of our promotional channels to spread that message. The toy drive component benefits Connecticut Children's, and last year's efforts delivered a record 15,000 donated toys to the hospital to help comfort young patients! 

Responsible gambling is a tenet of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation's mission, and it is one that we focus on throughout the year.