UK Minister Considers Raising the Minimum Age Limit for National Lottery Scratchcards

Mims Davies, the Minister for Sport and Civil Society in the UK, has announced that the minimum age to play National Lottery scratchcards and online instant win games could be increased to 18 to protect vulnerable young people.

At present, the age limit for all National Lottery games is 16, but the government will now consult on whether it should be raised to 18 for some or all National Lottery games and products.

The plan is to ensure that young people are rightly protected from the potential risks of gambling related harm, although these remain very low on all National Lottery games.

The Government also announces that it will raise the society lotteries’ annual sales limit to £50 million, increasing the money they can raise for good causes, and the maximum per draw prize to £500,000.

The new limits, which have not been increased for a decade, come after a detailed consultation and will support society lotteries to grow, removing 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.