Minorities play the lottery, but don't believe the ads

By Larry Keough

FSU Communications Group

African-Americans and Hispanics, though they're more likely to play the Florida Lottery than other Floridians, do not do it because they are influenced by lottery advertising.

FSU marketing Professor Richard Mizerski, FSU doctoral student Jackie Williams and Auburn University Professor Katherine Straughn refute the common belief that the lottery's get-rich-quick pitches influence minorities disproportionatly.

Two phone surveys revealed that African-Americans purchased approximately 43 percent more lottery tickets than did whites. Though Hispanics comprise only 12 percent of the state's population, they purchased nearly as many tickets as whites.

But, though blacks and Hispanics increased their lottery play between surveys, both reported lower recall of lottery ads at the second survey, Mizerski said.

He said there wasn't a consensus to explain the lottery participation by African-Americans and Hispanics, though it was clear the advertising was not the cause.