UK May Up Age to Play Lottery

The government of the UK is reportedly looking into proposals to up the age of those looking to purchase National Lottery scratchcard or play online instant win games from 16 years to 18 years of age.

The proposal is being looked at by Mims Davies, the Minister for Sport and Civil Society. Davies believes that the change would make it easier to protect the youth of the UK from the pitfalls of gambling addiction."The National Lottery raises vast sums for good causes, and society lotteries play a vital role in supporting local charities and grassroots organisations," said Davies. "These measures will ensure we create the best landscape so people across our communities can continue to benefit.

"But we also need to make sure that the National Lottery is fair and safe. That is why we are looking to raise the minimum age for instant win games so children and young people are protected.

"We are open to all feedback on changes to this and all of the various lottery products."

UK lottery group Camelot UK Lotteries reported £1.83 billion in sales for the year ending March 31st, 2019 as well as £7.21 billion in ticket sales. While youngsters are a small portion of these totals, lawmakers are still looking for ways to protect them from the possibility of becoming addicted at a young age.