It is illegal to sell any National Lottery ticket to a minor.
This is because childhood gambling is associated with a range of harms, including poor school performance and mental health issues, and a much higher chance of experiencing gambling problems as an adult.
The National Lottery’s Regulator and Operator are making rigorous efforts to reduce the incidence of sales to minors. The Regulator’s Mystery Shop exercises show a positive trend, with higher compliance amongst retailers today than six years ago. However, this still needs to improve and anyone selling National Lottery products should always follow the ‘Think 21’ principle.
The Regulator has zero tolerance for sales to children and encourages anyone who witnesses sales to children to inform the National Lottery . Every report will be taken seriously and followed up.
Talking to your child
Talking to a young person in understandable language about gambling can help them understand the potential consequences.
- Ask your child what they know and think about gambling to establish their level of knowledge and to help you correct any incorrect assumptions that they might have. Don’t assume.
- Discuss the dangers of gambling (addiction, debt, isolation, etc.) and explain that it is not a way to make money.
- Ensure your child can recognise gambling in all its forms, including online games and activities that encourage people to play, spend money and take risks.
- Explain the odds of winning the jackpot compared to the odds of winning a smaller prize. The odds of winning the top prize, and the odds of winning any prize, are printed on the reverse of every National Lottery scratch card and are available on lottery.ie for every National Lottery game.
- Debunk myths about gambling, such as falsely believing a big win is just around the corner when we experience a few losses or small wins in a row.
Checking your own gambling
Avoid involving children in buying or playing National Lottery products with you.
Avoid gifting National Lottery products to minors for birthdays or other occasions, no matter how small the value of the product.
If you are concerned about your own, or a loved one’s gambling, please see the resources provided to help you evaluate the gambling activity and get support if needed.