Written question asked by Preet Kaur Gill (Labour) on Monday, 17 December 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 December 2018. It was answered by Mims Davies (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 December 2018 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Scratch Cards: Children

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to raise the age for purchasing scratch cards from 16 to 18 years old.

Answer: When the conclusions of the Government’s Gambling Review were announced in May 2018, the Government said it would consider whether 16 remained an appropriate age limit to play all National Lottery products, including scratchcards, as part of work on the next licence competition. The evidence in this area is currently being reviewed and analysed, including the number of young people who play National Lottery games and whether participation leads to problem gambling behaviours in later life.

Secondary information