Camelot skirts CAP regulations with removal of National Lottery app content
National Lottery operator removes Scrabble and Monopoly-themed instant win games as it proactively engages with new rules
Camelot has made a move to avoid the implementation of the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP)’s new regulations on the industry by removing two of its instant win games.
The operator, which currently holds the licence for the UK National Lottery licence, has become one of the first firms to publicly confirm its operations have been impacted by the new rulings.
The regulations, which came into effect on 1 October, ban companies from using prominent sports figures, celebrities and influencers who appeal to the under-18s age group from advertising gambling products.
The rules also prevent firms from using imagery which could be deemed appealing to under-18s.
As a result, Camelot has removed its Monopoly and Scrabble instant win games, while also modifying artwork on two other titles.
EGR understands Camelot’s licensing arrangement for Scrabble came to an end in May, and with the operator aware of the upcoming CAP changes, decided not to renew the relationship.
The Scrabble-themed content has not been available to customers since May.
A Camelot spokesperson told EGR the company had been reviewing its product portfolio in line with the upcoming CAP regulations and, despite the lower risk of gambling-related harm for lottery products, decided to stop offering the two games.
The spokesperson said: “You must be over the age of 18 to register for a National Lottery online account – so no one under the age of 18 can play online instant win games (IWGs) – and it’s widely recognised that the inherent risk of problem play associated with National Lottery products is very low.
“However, as a responsible operator, we’ve been reviewing our advertising over a number of months in line with the new CAP rules, which we knew were coming into force.
“As a result, we’ve removed – or not extended the licensing for – games such as Monopoly and Scrabble, and, for example, modified the artwork on our £300k Fruity Bingo and Winter Wonderlines IWGs,” the spokesperson added.