UK Culture Minister Mims Davies announced the government in considering raising the minimum age to play the National Lottery from 16 to 18 as part of a focus on stemming underage gambling in the country.
However, she immediately ignited controversy by saying the rise in minimum age might apply only to lottery scratch cards and not the national drawing.
“The age of 18 is widely recognized as an age one becomes an adult, gaining full citizenship rights and the responsibilities,” Davies said before Parliament. “At present, all lotteries can be played from 16—one of the very few age limits for gambling under-18 products. So in addition to the option to raise the minimum age to 18 for all National Lottery games and retaining the current limit of 16, I’m also seeking views on a differentiated approach that would increase the minimum age of instant win games only. This includes scratch cards and online instant win games.”
The minimum legal age for gambling in the UK is 18, but the National Lottery is an exception.
Torie officials accused the government of being afraid of a legal challenge to the change from the National Lottery operator Camelot.
“There is no need for consultation about the age limit. Frankly I think we should just get on with it. There’s enough evidence out there,” former Tory leader Duncan Smith told the UK’s Sun newspaper.
There has been concern in the UK media that the popularity of scratch cards in the lottery could lead to younger children attempting to play. Gamble Aware, the country’s gambling addiction charity, says one in eight children aged between 11 and 15 years old are gambling regularly, and as many as 30,000 may be problem gamblers.
The UK Gambling Commission also says almost one in 20 children aged between the ages of 11 and 16 plays the National Lottery.
Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson said in his and the Labor Party’s view there was “absolutely no need” for a consultation on the age limit.
“It’s our strong view, and I’m sure members across the House will agree, that we already have all the evidence we need,” he told the newspaper. “To gamble you should be an adult, so the minimum age for all gambling products should be 18, it’s as simple as that.”
However, any move to raise the age limit on National Lottery sales before 2023 could leave the government open to a legal challenge from Camelot, which runs the National Lottery as it would be a change to the current lottery contract.
