Please don't gamble with your life! Be careful what you say or write!
Security poster with a photograph of a worried young woman resting her chin on one hand while holding a pair of dice with the other. The caption 'Please don't gamble with your life!' sets careless speech as a bet, and the banner adds 'Be careful what you say or write!'. The appeal is to personal risk and the fear is mild and implied.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- War Department, Adjutant General's Office ("Life" Security Poster)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Security and surveillance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Office of War Information (issuer not printed legibly. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-149 (NAID 513595).
Text on the object
"Please don't gamble [dice] with your LIFE!" BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY or write! [imprint: DISTRIBUTION: T of Opns (2); ALL Sv C (Dir of Intell & Sec) (2); Base C (2); Island C (2); [illegible]; Depts (2); PE (Intell Off) (5); Armies (2); Corps (2); D (1); B (1); R (1); Bn (1); [illegible]; Posts, Camps, and Stas (2). (For explanation of symbols see FM 21-6)] [imprint: W.D., A.G.O. "Life" Security Poster. Additional copies may be requisitioned as prescribed in AR 310-200, 1 May 1943, as changed by Changes No. 2, 15 September 1943.] [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944 - O - 816183]
