British teens under the age of 18 will be BANNED playing scratch card and online games
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Lottery scratch-off cards and online games that give instant wins will be banned for under-18s in Britain, starting 2023.
But the British government has abandoned plans to stop children playing the National Lottery, reported The Mail on Sunday.
Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Mims Davies
Earlier this year, the Government signalled that it would raise the age at which Britons can buy a £2 National Lottery ticket from the twice-weekly draw to 18.
Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Mims Davies, said: 'We need to be very clear that gambling starts at 18. It's not to stop people from having fun, but it's to protect those most vulnerable people. That's where the Government needs to step in.'
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport launched a consultation on raising the age that people can take part in the Lottery draw from 16 to 18.
But now Ms Davies has notified the Treasury that her position 'is to raise the minimum age to 18 for instant win games (scratchcards and online instant win games) and maintain the 16 limit for all draw-based games.'
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Having reviewed the evidence, she claimed in a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond that it was a 'proportionate and precautionary' approach to protect under-18s from 'possible and future harm'.
The changes would come into force in 2023 at the start of the next National Lottery licence.
READ MORE: Daily Mail
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