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UK National Lottery Raises Minimum Age Limit to 18 Years
By Jeff Osienya Oct 05, 2021 LegalityThe minimum age limit for taking part in National Lottery games in the United Kingdom officially changed from 16 to 18 years old on October 1st. The transition to the 18 years age restrictions started in April and first applied to online platforms alone.Starting October 1st, the UK government introduced a new measure that bumps the minimum age limit for buying National Lottery tickets and scratchcards from 16 to 18 years old. The revised age restriction has been implemented with hopes that it will assist the government in tackling harmful gambling in the country.
The new measure follows a ban that was introduced in April to prevent under-18s from purchasing lottery tickets and scratchcards from online platforms. Until September 30th, 16- and 17-year-olds in the UK were allowed to buy lottery tickets and scratchcards from land-based lottery retailers. But now, only UK residents aged 18 years and above are allowed to legally buy the National Lottery tickets and scratchcards from both retail facilities and online platforms.
The End of a Long-Standing Tradition for UK Lottery Fans
For over two decades, Brits have been buying National Lottery tickets for their kids as a rite of passage to mark their sixteenth birthday. But, with the change in regulations, the tradition is no more. Instead, 16-year-old teens will now have to wait for two more years before they can get their hands on the Lottery tickets. This newly implemented ban applies to tickets from three products sold by the National Lottery, i.e., Lotto, EuroMillions, and Set For Life.
A cross-party group of UK Members of Parliament has for some time been campaigning to stop vulnerable youngsters between ages 16 and 17 from taking part in gambling at an early age. According to the MPs, there was concern that their access to lottery tickets and online games had the potential to drive them towards compulsive gambling when they grow older.
Nigel Huddleston, the UK Minister for Sport, Tourism, and Heritage, was also part of the anti-gambling campaign for under 18s in the UK’s legislature. He said that an increased age restriction would make sure that the National Lottery isn’t a “gateway to problem gambling,” especially in an age where gambling is more accessible via online platforms. In addition, matt Zarb-Cousin, the Director of Clean Up Gambling, a well-recognized gambling reforms lobby group, was previously interviewed by the Mirror news network about the matter. In the interview, Matt shared similar sentiments with Nigel, saying:
Quote“Britain is the only country in the world that allows children to gamble. The loophole that lets under-18s buy lottery tickets has been exploited to peddle rapid instant win games to children, which act as a gateway to harder forms of gambling.”
The Camelot Group, which is currently the government-mandated operator of the UK National Lottery, has also not spoken against the change either. Nigel Railton, the company CEO voiced Camelot’s stand on the matter by saying: “For 25 years, the age has been 16, so it is probably a good time to look at it.” Further, a Camelot spokesperson added that the company would do whatever possible to “implement all of the changes that will be necessary” as fast as it can.
The UK Continues to Look for Ways to Tighten its Gambling Regulations
Meanwhile, the ban of 16- and 17-year-olds from purchasing lottery tickets is not the only significant regulatory change in the UK. In December 2020, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS) launched a gaming review for the revision of the 2005 Gambling Act.
This ongoing review aims to establish whether the current gambling legislation is sufficient to fit the digital gambling age and introduce necessary revisions and new safer gambling measures. The UK government plans to release a policy document by the end of this year or early next year to outline future gambling legislation. A three-month public comment period will follow the release of the policy document before it is discussed in parliament as a bill.
Last month, the UK Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group (APBGG) also launched its own ‘Competence and Effectiveness’ investigations on the country’s Gambling Commission after proposing stricter measures for the gambling sector last year. The APBGG has called on industry members to assist with the investigation by anonymously submitting concerns and complaints that will inform the ongoing 2005 Gambling Act Review.
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