Camelot ends sale of £10 scratchcards

National Lottery operator Camelot Group confirmed to UK media this weekend that it has sanctioned terminating all sales of £10 scratchcards, citing ‘player protection considerations’.

Camelot has informed its UK retail partners to withdraw all £10 scratchcards from their displays, with the lottery operator allowing a 180-day window for players to claim prizes.

Citing guidance issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which branded £10 scratchcards as ‘not consistent with being a leisure activity’, Camelot governance has chosen to withdraw the product from its inventory.

“After careful consideration of new evidence both the Commission and the Licensee agreed that all scratchcards at the £10 price point should be removed from sale until we are satisfied that the risks posed to our duties are mitigated,” the UKGC detailed in a statement.

Last August, Camelot undertook a review of its retail inventory choosing to end the sale of two £10 scratchcards– ‘Diamond 7’ and ‘£4 Million Black Game’.

Camelot issued the following statement: “As part of the ongoing work we carry out to ensure all of our players can play in a healthy and enjoyable way, we became aware that, unlike any of our other scratchcards, these particular games over-indexed among problem gamblers.

“So, in keeping with that commitment, we decided to stop selling these particular scratchcards and instructed our retailers to remove all tickets from sale. We believe this was the right thing to do to help protect the very small minority of players concerned.”

Camelot prepares for a crucial 2020, in which it will re-pitch its services to maintain its status as UK National Lottery operator.

The incumbent is expected to face fierce competition for the National Lottery 2020 tender, having faced accountability concerns related to ‘funding of good causes’ by the National Audit Office.