Respondents from retail organisations and the current National Lottery operator felt that, regardless of whether it is set at 16 or 18, the minimum age should be the same for both draw-based games and instant-win games.
They said that this would make it more straightforward to train staff and communicate any changes to customers. Respondents highlighted a number of transition costs which would be incurred if the minimum age were changed. Most respondents agreed that changing the minimum age at the same time as the implementation of the fourth National Lottery license would give all concerned stakeholders the time needed to make the changes.
Camelot said that they would need to begin work in November in order to make the changes by February ; starting the work later i. Camelot also highlighted the returns to good causes which could be lost by increasing the minimum age. Lottery operators broadly agreed that the minimum age should be the same for the National Lottery and society lotteries.
One society lottery operator was concerned that parity of minimum age with other forms of gambling could trigger a move towards tighter regulation of lotteries, in line with how the government regulates other gambling products.
They were concerned that this would not reflect the difference in risk of harm and the contribution to good causes which lotteries make. A key message that came through clearly in written consultation responses from Camelot, society lottery operators and retail organisations was that there should be parity of minimum ages within the portfolio of National Lottery products. Respondents raised concerns around the challenges a split minimum age would pose on implementation, operational difficulties, and scope for customer confusion.
We found these arguments compelling and therefore discounted the split approach, presented as option b in the original consultation. We were then left with two options - to retain the minimum age at 16, or to increase it to 18 for all National Lottery products. In order to consider the relative merits of each option, we considered information about gambling related harms, recent parliamentary inquiries, public opinion, the international context, and evidence on financial impacts.
National Lottery products have been sold to 16 and 17 year olds for over 25 years. We looked for evidence on gambling-related harms for 16 and 17 year olds who participate in National Lottery games to see if there was a significant impact on this age group, and whether that has changed over time. Figures from NHS Health Surveys, with additional analysis by the Gambling Commission, show National Lottery products have a low and stable association with problem gambling on a population level.
In the latest release from , these were 1. In addition, the NHS has recently published supplementary analysis of problem gambling prevalence associated with participation in different numbers of gambling activities. For those aged over 16 who participate in only one type of activity, the problem gambling rate is very low at 0.
We have not seen compelling evidence to demonstrate a causal link between National Lottery play at 16 and 17 and gambling related harm. However, some evidence has emerged suggesting an association between National Lottery play at 16 and 17 and gambling-related harm.
Recent studies have suggested an association between playing National Lottery games at 16 and 17 particularly scratchcards and problem gambling as an adult. Some of their interviewees were unclear on the odds of winning and the details on the rules of the game. While the young people interviewed generally played a set amount of draw-based games, scratchcards were more likely to prompt additional spend.
The evidence from academia and the consultation have been complemented by three recent parliamentary inquiries, which heard evidence from experts nationally and internationally. Public opinion clearly supports these recommendations. The Gambling Commission carried out research on the minimum age applied to lotteries in other countries.
Their analysis focused on 50 other developed countries and jurisdictions. They found that internationally, allowing 16 and 17 year olds to play the lottery is the exception rather than the norm.
The vast majority of the countries researched have a minimum age of 18 to play lotteries. There were three other countries alongside the UK that allow play at 16 - Austria, Estonia and Switzerland.
Of those, Austria and Switzerland limit play at 16 to retail environments, and have a minimum age of 18 for online participation.
Only the UK and Estonia allow play at 16 across all sales channels. The culture and approach to regulation of gambling and lotteries varies significantly across different countries. Retaining 16 as the minimum age would have no financial impact. Raising the minimum age to 18 would incur costs including:. Sales of National Lottery products to 16 and 17 year olds are low, and on a further downward trend.
Retailers get a small percentage of each National Lottery ticket sale in commission. This will be lost for sales to year olds. There are therefore some costs associated with the option to raise the minimum age to Many young people aged 16 and 17 have participated safely in the National Lottery since its launch in , supported by a robust framework of player protection measures that form part of the fabric of the National Lottery and its regulation.
Under the current licence, the operator has a robust and effective approach to player protection. The fourth licence competition has been designed with player protection at its heart. Nevertheless, given the technological advances and changes to the games portfolio since the launch, the competition for the fourth licence to run the National Lottery offered a timely opportunity to reconsider whether a minimum age of 16 remained appropriate.
While the evidence of risk to 16 and 17 year olds as a result of playing National Lottery games is not definitive, some evidence of correlation has emerged, public opinion is clear, and the international evidence shows that we are anomalous.
On that basis, we will - as a precaution - make regulations to increase the minimum age of sale for all National Lottery products to The legislative change will therefore come into force on 1 October - the second Common Commencement Date next year - to ensure that the change is implemented quickly and successfully and reduce the impact on business.
As noted in the consultation, the government takes the view that proper consideration needs to be given to the question of parity of minimum age between the National Lottery and society lotteries. During the Gambling Act Review we will therefore consider - in consultation with industry - the minimum age to play society lotteries, to ensure that our wider policy on legal gambling by children and young people is coherent. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in.
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