Camelot UK has announced it will enforce an 18+ age restriction on all its UK National Lottery products on April 22, six months ahead of the UK Government’s October deadline to introduce the measure.
From that date, anyone under the age of 18 will no longer be able to purchase any of the national lottery operator’s products, whether that be online or in a retail environment.
The UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced last December that it would be raising the minimum age to play the lottery from 16 to 18 years following the release of its ‘Review of the Gambling Act 2005 Terms of Reference and Call for Evidence’ policy paper.
Originally, online lottery sales to under-18s were to be banned first from April, with a deadline of implementation across retail by October 2021, but now Camelot has acted to enforce the age limit across all verticals sooner than required.
A Camelot spokesperson said: “From 22 April 2021, players must be 18 or over to play National Lottery games online, in-store and on the app. This is in line with the government’s decision to raise the legal minimum age to play The National Lottery, which we fully support.
“Encouraging healthy play is at the heart of everything we do. Remember, you can set limits for the amount you deposit and spend each week, moderate your Instant Win Games play limit or even take a break from playing.”
Last month, Camelot sealed a deal with supermarket chain Aldi to bring National Lottery games to all of its 900 stores across the United Kingdom for the first time.
However, this deal has been criticised by Stuart Reddish, President of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, as he believes it will ‘dilute sales’ and affect small retailers.