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Fresh on the heels of the announcement that the maximum stake in FOBTs will be dropped to £2 as many suspected (and many other feared) the UK Government is to embark on a consultation to determine whether the minimum age for National Lottery play should be raised to 18.The proposal, published by Culture Minister Tracey Crouch, said:“Unlike commercial gambling products, National Lottery games can be played from 16,’ the document said.“We intend to consider this issue as part of the next licence competition for the National Lottery.“We will aim to gather evidence on this issue in order to consider it fully in time for the next licence competition. The current licence expires in 2023.’”
Unexpected support
The suggestion that the age limit should be raised has received unlikely support from Jane Park, Britain’s youngest Euromillions winner, who picked up £1 million when she was 17.Ms Park has stated that she does not believe that she should have been able to play the lottery at that age, and that her life would have been considerably better had she not won such a large sum at 17:“At 17 it’s a completely different ball game. I just wanted to buy things that I always wanted.“At 17 it’s always going to be harder… I would have done it differently.”The big news in the gambling world at this point continues to be the reduction of the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTS) which, although not expected to come into effect until 2020, is still sending shockwaves through the industry.However, it’s clear that the Government, alongside the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is continuing its focus on the protection of vulnerable gamblers, which includes those in the 16-18 age bracket who are currently able to play the National Lottery.