Possibility of National Lottery minimum age rise

This week, the government has raised the discussion of gambling age once again, this time in regard to the National Lottery. Currently the minimum age to buy a National Lottery ticket is 16. The review will consider raising this to 18.

This is in an effort to minimise the exposure of minors to gambling, in the hopes of protecting them from gambling addiction later in life. Almost all forms of gambling in the UK have an 18+ restriction, including online gambling, bingo halls, and sports betting. The National Lottery is one of the few that allows people younger than 18 to legally participate.

It is important to note that the review will consider raising the age limit to 18 for “some or all National Lottery games and products”, and that the announcement specifically mentions National Lottery scratchcards. It may be the case that National Lottery scratchcards have the minimum age raised to 18, but lottery tickets may still be available to 16-year-olds.

The age limit for lottery tickets has been 16 since the modern National Lottery began in 1994. If the age limit changes to 18, many will consider this a decisive move against teenage gambling for the UK.