DCMS consults on raising National Lottery age limit to 18
Government to consider raising age limit on lottery and scratchcard gaming
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a consultation on plans to raise the age limit on National Lottery gaming and scratchcards to 18 years.
In its consultation document, DCMS highlighted the growth of online lottery, together with increased sales of scratchcards as justification to evaluate the current threshold of 16 years of age.
It follows several media reports that the government was considering raising the age limit for Lottery scratchcard gaming to 18, but National Lottery draw-based games.
DCMS said it is considering three basic options: not to increase the age limit, increase the age limit on just instant win games (including online) and, finally, raise the minimum age to 18 for all National Lottery games.
The window for responses on the consultation closes on 8 October 2019.
In Parliament yesterday, deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson said a consultation was unnecessary and urged the government to raise the age limit regardless.
450,000 children gamble every week, a number that’s quadrupled in recent years. For many, lottery scratchcards can be a gateway to gambling from 16. We don't need a further consultation on raising the age to 18. We have all the evidence we need. To gamble you should be an adult. pic.twitter.com/OeQI5pFR1H
— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) July 16, 2019
The gambling industry has also been vocal about the need to raise the age limit to 18 across all games.
In addition to launching the age-limit consultation, DCMS also announced it will raise the maximum draw prize on society lotteries from £400,000 to £500,000.
As part of these changes, DCMS will also increase the society lotteries’ annual sales limit to £50m, increasing the money society lotteries can raise.
DCMS said this would remove the “need for lotteries to slow down their fundraising, and allow them to get rid of the costly bureaucracy designed to stop them breaching the current limits”.
Minister for Sport and Civil Society Mims Davies the changes “struck the right balance to ensure that both the National Lottery and society lotteries can thrive”.
“We also need to make sure that the National Lottery is fair and safe,” Davies said. “That is why we are looking to raise the minimum age for instant win games so children and young people are protected. We are open to all feedback on changes to this and all of the various lottery products.”