State's distaste for candy-themed lottery came late

GOV. CHRIS GREGOIRE doesn't play games with industries that market to minors.

She's muscled the alcohol industry. She's been tough on Joe Camel and cigarette manufacturers.

But when it comes to legal gambling? Apparently not so much.

When I went to the Washington State Lottery's Web site Thursday afternoon and checked out its $2 instant scratch tickets, I saw game cards that featured eye-catching logos of Twizzlers, Milk Duds, Reese's and Jolly Ranchers -- candies that kids just love.

What's up with that?

"We just pulled the game," lottery spokeswoman Jacque Coe told me when I called Thursday -- even though the Web link was still up as we spoke.

Pulled when?

"This morning."

	Washington State Lottery's Web site Thursday afternoon showed $2 instant scratch tickets featuring logos of popular candies.

It turns out the governor's office was getting heat about the Hershey's-themed scratch games that could entice any kid with a sweet tooth. One Republican state lawmaker was apparently so enraged he was planning to write newspaper editorials lambasting the lottery commission for its, um, poor taste. The governor's office said it was responding to a constituent who complained this week.

So Thursday, lottery officials sent a message to retailers across the state to pull the candied game tickets that began in March. Originally, 1.9 million tickets with candy tie-ins were circulated, Coe said. About 600,000 are left.

That the games even exist suggests the governor isn't minding the store.

Of course, she's been busy -- attending fundraisers across the state, vying for the attention of those she wants on her side come re-election, dealing with questions about big money she reportedly received in campaign contributions from Indian tribes.

But in a stern February 2006 letter to Christopher Liu, the state lottery director, Gregoire explicitly mentioned residents' "deep reservations about the lottery" and "the social and economic effects of gambling, particularly among young people."

"I want to ensure that we are not, in any way, marketing lottery products to youth."

Gregoire said in the letter she was worried about teens becoming involved in gambling at an age when they "do not fully understand" the risks involved.

The governor wrote: "We need to be very clear that we will not engage in any marketing strategies directed toward youth. ... I ask that you refrain from using tools that entice those young adults to play."

Sounds clear to me.

Either Liu didn't heed the message or the governor didn't follow up.

Liu's spokeswoman said Thursday that the lottery director was "out of the office."

The lottery spokeswoman said the problem finally dawned on pooh-bahs in Olympia after a phone call between Liu's office and the governor's.

Gregoire agreed the game tickets could be "perceived as marketing to children" and might appeal to minors. The governor's chief of staff, acting on behalf of Gregoire, picked up the phone, according to Laura Lockard, a governor's spokeswoman.

Officials say the not-so-bright idea sprung from a desire to partner with "a respected brand to raise awareness," Coe said. "In retrospect, it is confusing -- (the games) could be perceived as appealing to an underage market."

Perceived? You think?

Remind me to send a "Duh-gram" to the governor's office.

In the end, the candy tie-in push left behind a sour taste.

The state just did what it should have done from the start -- spit it out.