British House Secretary Mims M. Davies recently said that the minimum age for Britons to buy instant tickets and online instant games should be raised from 16 years old to 18 years old, but for games such as computer tickets that are not frequently drawn, the original regulations can still be adopted. This may be one of the UK government's solutions to the growing problem of gambling addiction.
"Winning the jackpot ruined my life"
In 2013, 17-year-old Edinburgh girl, Jane M. Park became the youngest winner of the lotto game EuroMillions, with a huge prize of £1 million (about 8.5 million yuan) that completely changed her life. However, six years have passed, and this young girl, who has been envied by countless people, has said that she is not happy.
"I have material things, but beyond that, my life is empty. What is my purpose in life?" Deep confusion and confusion even made JanePark once have the idea of taking the national lottery operator Camelot to court, and now she is more rationally calling for the United Kingdom to raise the minimum age limit for lottery purchases from 16 to 18 years old, so as not to repeat such a "tragedy" as her own.
18 years old is widely considered the age at which a person reaches the age of adulthood and should obtain all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and the vast majority of countries in the world set the minimum age for lottery purchases at 18 years old, and a few countries (or regions) also stipulate that it is 16 years old, 17 years old or 19 years old. Even in the same country or region, the minimum age required may vary depending on the lottery agency that issues the game. In the United States, for example, the vast majority of states set a minimum age of 18 years old, Nebraska requires that you must be at least 19 years old to buy lottery, and a few states such as Arizona, Iowa, and Louisiana must be at least 21 years old to buy lottery. In Canada, the minimum age to buy a lottery is generally 18 or 19 years old. In addition, there are some lottery institutions that issue VLT video games, and the minimum age for purchasing lottery may be raised a little, which is to prevent minors from becoming addicted to lottery. For a long time, the minimum age for British people to buy lottery games and casino games, sports betting games and other gambling games is 16 years old, which belongs to countries with a low legal age for lottery purchases, and is an isolated case in the world.
Raise the lottery age to combat gambling addiction
Minors' self-control is relatively poor, if they are allowed to buy lottery tickets and other opportunity games at will, it is likely to lead to addiction, which will bring more serious social consequences and a series of adverse reactions. The most direct goal of setting the legal minimum lottery age is to prevent minors from buying lottery, so as to avoid the game from having a significant negative impact on society.
Many European countries, including the United Kingdom, have serious problems with the spread of gambling addiction in the whole society, which has led to European countries in recent years began to crack down on illegal online gambling and other activities that may lead to addiction, such as Italy strictly prohibits all gambling advertising; Switzerland, Norway and other countries have formulated new gambling laws to prohibit illegal online gambling. The proposed proposal to raise the age limit for lottery purchases is a reaction of the UK government to the negative social impact of improper regulation of betting games.
It is estimated that one in every 20 children aged 11 to 16 in the UK is participating in lottery games. In addition, about 65,000 16-year-olds are keen to play instant games. Conservative MP Desmond M.A. Swayne is a big supporter of raising the minimum age to buy lottery to 18, and his position stems from the tendency to form habits in participating in speculative activities such as buying lottery tickets, so the later you start, the better, and most importantly, you should never participate in such games before you become an adult.
Civil society organizations also welcomed raising the minimum age for lottery purchases. "Gambling and Life" is a civil charity organization formed by the families of people who have committed suicide in gambling, Charles M. Ritchie, who is part of the group, said: "The evidence makes it very clear that the sooner young people start engaging in speculative activities such as lottery buying, the more likely they are to develop into serious gambling addictions in the future."
In addition to being addictive, minors are not yet mentally mature, and once they win the grand prize, their material life and mental state will undergo huge changes, sometimes making people wonder what to do. After winning the jackpot, JanePark was addicted to shopping, keen on travel, and even spent a lot of money on plastic surgery, and became a guest on the topic reality SHOW... For a time, I couldn't find the direction of life.
According to MimsDavies' vision, it is possible to differentiate different games, that is, to raise the minimum age of only buy-and-invoice and online instant win games to 18 years old, and the minimum age to buy other lottery games remains unchanged at 16 years old. But the plan has been criticized by many critics, including shadow culture minister Tom Kelly. Watson, former Conservative Leader and Interior Minister Ian Watson Duncan· Smith, Scottish National Party MP Ronnie M. Many government officials, including Cowan, have said all games should be "treated equally" and the age limit will be uniformly limited to 18 years old.
The UK National Lottery is currently operated by Camelot and its contract expires in 2023. If the proposed changes are implemented, the company may file a lawsuit. A spokesman for Camelot revealed the company would be disappointed if the changes took effect. But the company has no objection to the government's intention to review the age limit for purchasing national lottery products. (National Lottery Push)