The National Lottery will have its age limit raised from 16 to 18 as the UK government continues its review of the country’s gambling industry.
New age limit will be fully implemented by October 2021
The new legislation will start coming into action by April, meaning customers under the age of 18 will no longer be able to buy tickets online from the National Lottery. By October 2021, physical sales to underage customers will also be discontinued.
This decision forms part of the UK government’s review of the gambling industry. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) is conducting the review, which is designed to ensure that consumers of all ages are safe across the country.
Protecting young people from problem gambling
The existing legislation was established back in 2005, but the government has now deemed it inadequate. As such, the DCMS will be analysing the current gambling laws for the next 16 weeks, with a particular focus on protecting young people from problem gambling.
“We’re committed to protecting young people from gambling-related harm, which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery,” said the Minister of Sport, Nigel Huddleston.
He continued: “Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.”
