GambleAware is urging the National Lottery to take quick action in adding gambling support information to both its adverts and products.
In revealing new research that shows three quarters of the British population want the National Lottery to do more to help people with gambling harms, the UK charity argued that even though the lottery is considered low-risk gambling, this does not mean none at all.
Directing its calls of help to operator Allwyn UK, GambleAware has stated that the public are also greatly in favour of the National Lottery pointing customers towards its website – 74% on its products and 69% on advertising.
A total of 84% also agreed that the National Lottery is a form of gambling, and 46% disagreed that the National Lottery products are harmless.
The charity did point out however that it recognises the work the National Lottery has done supporting a range of worthy causes over the years.
Andy Boucher, GambleAware Chair of Trustees, said: “In the public’s mind, it is there to do good in the community, and so we believe it is also the right thing for it to look after the people who play the National Lottery.”
Boucher was appointed to his role in March this year after having been a trustee since 2023. He was brought in to oversee the charity whilst the government rolls out a new structure for problem gambling services – led by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), the NHS and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The application of these frameworks to lotteries now seems to be on the charity’s agenda.
Boucher continued: “Allwyn, the National Lottery’s current operator, has previously stated that ‘player safety is our top priority’ and it must live up to those words and play a critical role in protecting people from gambling harms, which are a serious public health issue that can drive societal inequalities, worsen mental health issues, and increase pressure on our over-burdened health system.
“This is why we are calling for clearer signposting on the National Lottery’s products and advertising. The signposting we want to see is already a minimum standard across other charity lotteries, and we believe that it is only right that the National Lottery adopts them, as an organisation whose purpose is to benefit good causes and have a positive effect on society.”
“Lack of action”
GambleAware raised its concerns that back in 2022, the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee urged the Lottery to take further action, but nothing has been done since.
New measures that have been introduced to address gambling harm, such as online slot stake limits and a statutory levy, mainly target commercial gambling operators, but not the Lottery.
GambleAware emphasised the point of how quickly a small problem can become a big one in highlighting the story of a lady with lived experience of gambling harm.
The woman recounted: “When I gave up gambling and self-excluded myself from places I could gamble, the one thing I couldn’t bar myself from was playing the lottery in shops. When I got a craving in my early recovery, I bought £450 worth of scratch cards.
“I later moved on to buying online scratch cards, which look like fruit machines and make sounds. There was a big jackpot where you could win a million pounds so I was really lured into those and was spending a lot.
“I know other people experiencing gambling harm who have had similar experiences with the National Lottery, so putting information on tickets and scratch cards about where people can get support would help so much.”