Merry Christmas To All. Scratch That: Merry Slothmas To All, To All A Good Night

Looking for a last-minute gift idea for some of the adults in your circle? Oregon Lottery tickets might be your answer, especially if you’ve been slothful about getting your gifts together.

This year, there’s a game bearing that exact theme.

Merry Slothmas is the latest holiday-themed game to hit the shelves in Oregon. It’s certainly not the first such game, and whether it’s the best in the holiday category is up for debate.

Details of the Oregon Lottery Merry Slothmas game

Sloths don’t have the holiday reputation of fleet-footed reindeer who help a hefty man speed around the world in a single night. There’s no debating that.

However, the Oregon Lottery says the species’ reputation for not being in a rush about anything is nonetheless appropriate for the season. The messaging is taking a breath and enjoying the season.

Tickets for the Merry Slothmas scratch-off game cost a dollar at any lottery retailer in the state. The top prize is $1,500. The odds of winning a prize sit at 1 in 4.05.

As of Tuesday, over 60% of the tickets remained unsold. Also, 11 of the game’s top prizes were still available. While the furry branding of the game could be adorable, they are still lottery tickets.

As such, it’s important to not only buy but also gift these tickets responsibly. That especially applies when buying gifts for minors. Studies show that receiving lottery tickets as gifts during adolescence and/or childhood can produce more permissive attitudes toward gambling.

That, in turn, can play into a higher likelihood of developing a compulsive gambling issue. Oregonians should be mindful of buying lottery tickets for adults with those issues as well.

That applies to residents of all jurisdictions that offer lottery games. With responsible gaming in mind, these can make great gifts. Other jurisdictions offer their own holiday games.

Four other creative holiday-themed lottery games

Where people would rank these games is a matter of opinion. In addition to Merry Slothmas, four other lottery tickets currently available in other states make the following shortlist.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

It’s a classic holiday movie, whether because of Cousin Eddie’s kidnapping or Clark Griswold’s setting a sledding world speed record. Florida Lottery players can get another “gift that keeps on giving” for $2 with this instant-win ticket.

The top prize for this game is $50,000, which would buy a lot of holiday lights.

The next game on this list picks back up on the idea of evoking a member of the animal kingdom.

Fa La La La Llama

For $2, Pennsylvania Lottery players have a chance at one of six $10,000 prizes. With a 1 in 4 chance of winning a prize, it’s a solid option for gifting this year.

In a pinch, dromedaries like llamas could suffice in place of reindeer. Tie some fake antlers to their heads and most children probably will probably enjoy their presence.

If you enjoy puns, the next game is for you.

Snow Me the Money

For any Illinois Lottery player who enjoys dad jokes, this game is probably already on their list.

With a cost of just $1 and odds of winning up to $500 sitting at 1 in 4.37, it’s more than just a name game.

However, the Illinois Lottery doesn’t have a monopoly on games that feature names with plays on words. The last game on this list is another festive example.

Frosty the Doughman

This is the most expensive game on the list, but it’s also the most lucrative.

For $5, Massachusetts Lottery players get a crack at a $1 million prize.

Every year, the people who work for lotteries rack their brains coming up with new holiday promotions. In 2021, it will be difficult for the folks at the Oregon Lottery to top Merry Slothmas.

But that’s a problem for next year.