How old do you have to be to buy a lottery ticket in the UK? Still 16 or did they change it?
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What really gets me is how they implemented it. Shops had to retrain staff, update tills, change signage... Must have cost retailers millions. All for what amounts to a two-year age bump that probably affects a tiny percentage of sales.
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The retailers were NOT happy about this change. Friend of mine runs a corner shop and says lottery sales dropped noticeably after the change. Turns out quite a few 16-17 year olds were regular customers.
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Good riddance to underage lottery sales, I say. Seen too many young lads blow their wages on William Hill terminals. At least this keeps them away from the gateway stuff for a bit longer.
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@slotqueen_uk Bit dramatic calling lottery tickets 'gateway' gambling! Most people who buy the odd scratch card never progress to anything serious. It's like saying beer leads to heroin addiction.
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Cheers for all the replies! Settled the argument - my mate owes me a pint. Still can't believe I missed when they changed it. Shows how much attention I pay to the news!
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The philosophical question is whether we're actually protecting young people or just creating an artificial barrier that makes gambling more appealing as 'forbidden fruit'. Human nature suggests the latter, unfortunately.
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What's mental is that kids can open trading accounts on apps like Trading 212 at 18 and lose thousands on volatile stocks, but we're worried about them buying lottery tickets. The inconsistency in financial protection is laughable.
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Anyone know if there were any challenges to this law change? Seems like it would impact business revenue significantly enough that someone would have fought it through the courts.
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@jackpot_jane The retailers association grumbled but nothing serious legally. Hard to argue against 'protecting children' in court, even if the protection is arguably minimal. Political suicide to oppose it really.
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Still find it weird that you can get married, join the army, and vote at 16-18 but can't buy a £2 Lucky Dip. British logic at its finest - protect them from themselves while sending them to war zones!