Lotto chiefs in the UK have ordered the cessation of sales of £10 scratchcards for fear they may lead to gambling addiction. But the lottery will honor top prize tickets that have already been sold—including two of £4 million on the “Black” game plus one of £2 million on “Diamond 7.”
A spokesman told The Sun, “We became aware that, unlike our other scratchcards, these games over-indexed among problem gamblers. Even though it’s widely acknowledged that the risk of problem play associated with our games is very low, player protection has always underpinned the way we run the National Lottery.”
Players have 180 days to claim prizes after the game’s closure date.
A UK Gambling Commission spokesman added, “Based on the new evidence, the commission considered that the association of problem gambling with the £10 scratchcard was such that it was not consistent with it being a legitimate leisure activity. After careful consideration of new evidence both the commission and the licensee agreed that all scratchcards at the £10 price point should be removed from sale until we are satisfied that the risks posed to our duties are mitigated.”
