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Bill would require problem-gambling hotline number on future Oregon lottery billboards
Summary
A billmaker told the House Commerce Committee that Senate Bill 914A would add the problem-gambling helpline number to the statutorily prescribed language on new Oregon lottery billboards; the change would be prospective and would not require removal of existing billboards.
Senator Sarah Gelser Blouin introduced Senate Bill 914A on April 22, telling the House Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection that the measure “is a very simple bill” that would require future Oregon Lottery billboards to include the problem-gambling helpline telephone number.
The bill grew from a conversation, Gelser Blouin said, about why existing law prescribes the exact language that must appear on lottery billboards but does not require the helpline number. “Nobody has to take down any billboards that already exist,” she said, describing SB 914A as prospective: “It does not remove any of the other language.”
Why it matters: supporters said even a small additional reminder could help people find resources. Representative David Gomberg, who serves on the committee, said his panel had struggled with how to get resources to people who need them and welcomed efforts to increase awareness. Several committee members questioned the practical reach of adding a phone number to roadside billboards, noting readability at highway speeds and competing billboard design priorities. Representative Rob Wallin suggested expanding the requirement to other advertising formats, such as television, radio and print; Gelser Blouin said she would accept a friendly amendment to consider broader advertising if the committee wished.
Details and limits: the bill’s sponsor and committee members emphasized the prospective scope: only billboards placed after the law takes effect would be required to show the additional information. Committee members asked whether printing the helpline number on tickets would be feasible; Gelser Blouin said she had “no problem with doing that” conceptually but raised concerns about the logistics and security of lottery ticket printing and said such a change would likely need to be prospective as well.
No fiscal note: committee members asked whether a fiscal impact existed; Gelser Blouin said no fiscal note was required because the bill does not mandate new billboards but only modifies the content of billboards placed in the future. The committee did not record a vote at the hearing stage.
The committee closed the public hearing on SB 914A and proceeded to other agenda items.
