Lottery tickets and scratch cards
It is illegal to sell lottery tickets/scratch cards to someone under the age of 18.
If you do not believe the customer is over 18 (or 21/25 if a Challenge 21/25 policy is in place) ask for proof of age (passport/photo driving licence/PASS accredited proof of age card)
If you are still unsure refuse the sale. You may wish to record the details in a refusals register to show that you are refusing sales.
It is illegal for members of staff under 18 to sell lottery tickets or scratch cards unless the member of staff has attained the age of 16 and is authorised to sell lottery tickers or scratch cards by an authorising person or has attained the age of 16 and the sale has been specifically approved by a responsible person.
- An authorisation must be in writing
- It must be signed by the authorising person and the staff member who is aged 16 or 17
- It must contain the following information:
- the name and date of birth of the staff member;
- the name and address of the premises at which the National Lottery tickets are sold;
- the name of the authorising person; and
- a statement that the staff member is authorised by the authorising person to sell National Lottery tickets.
Authorising person
In this section “authorising person” means a person who has attained the age of 18 years and has management or control of the premises on which the staff member is authorised to sell National Lottery tickets
Responsible person
In this section “responsible person” means a person who has attained the age of 18 years and —
- has management or control of the premises on which the sale is made; or
- works for or on behalf of the employer of the person who made the sale, at the premises on which the sale was made.
It is advisable to ensure that your staff are fully trained in order to prevent them making sales of age restricted products. Any training they receive should be documented within a record of training form.
You commit an offence if:
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you sell a lottery ticket or scratch card to someone under 18
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a member of staff under 18 sells a lottery ticket or scratch card and has not attained the age of 16 and has not been authorised to sell lottery tickets or scratch cards by an authorised person or has not attained the age of 16 and the sale has not been specifically approved by a responsible person.
Reporting underage sales
If you suspect a retailer of selling any of these products to anyone under the minimum age, please report them via Citizens Advice Bureau. They manage the national Consumer Advice Service, and staff there assess each problem and pass it on to the relevant body, such as Trading Standards.