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Jersey and Guernsey are reviewing whether it is appropriate for £10 scratch cards to continue to be sold by the Channel Islands Lottery amid concerns about the role they might play in problem gambling.
It comes as the Channel Islands Lottery contract up for renewal in 2027 and after £9.26 million was spent on scratch cards in Jersey last year.
In the States Assembly on Tuesday, Deputy Steve Ahier asked Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel whether it remains "appropriate" for £10 scratch cards to continue to be sold.
The St Helier Deputy added that in 2019, the operator of the UK National Lottery stopped selling £10 scratch cards after the Gambling Commission said such games "overindex the most problem gamblers."
Pictured: In 2019, £10 scratchcards were taken off sale in the UK due to concerns they encourage problem gambling.
Deputy Morel said a review in Jersey and Guernsey is currently underway into the Channel Island Lottery – and that this would include consideration of the £10 tickets.
He added: “A safer gambling campaign to promote responsible play and awareness of the services and help available to problem gamblers will be launched this year.”
However, Deputy Ahier pressed the Minister and asked if he will follow Camelot's lead and withdraw the £10 cards at the earliest opportunity. Camelot, which runs the National Lottery, made the decision to do so in 2019 due to what they described as "player protection considerations".
In response, Deputy Morel reiterated the review is ongoing.
Pictured: The lottery is jointly run by both governments in Guernsey and Jersey to raise money for charitable projects through the sale of scratch cards and the Christmas draw.
Deputy Ahier’s concerns come after a recent piece of public health research in Guernsey highlighted concerns around the level of problem gambling on the island, and in particular the use of scratch cards.
The report, which was published in January, revealed that the island had higher rates of gambling than other jurisdictions, with 79.9% of Guernsey respondents taking part compared to 57% across Great Britain.
The pre-pandemic Health Impact Assessment also found that The Channel Islands Christmas Lottery had the highest gambling activity at 67.5% and that some under-18s were illegally taking part.
The second-highest gambling activity was the purchase of scratch cards.
Pictured: Some islanders in Jersey have shared frustrations around the way in which the Christmas lottery operates, while in Guernsey, a recent piece of public health research found that some under-18s were illegally taking part in the lottery.
This was an area where Guernsey's gambling habits were found to differ significantly from comparison populations – 46.3% had purchased scratch cards in Guernsey, compared to 29.3% in Isle of Man and 21% in Great Britain.
Scratch card use was found to be associated — more than any other gambling activity — with poor health indicators.
This included poor general health, low mental wellbeing, living with excess weight/obesity, regular GP visits, mental health/counselling service attendance, poor diet, tobacco smoking, financial problems and violence perpetration.
During yesterday's States Assembly meeting, questions were also posed to the Minister about potential purchase limits for scratch cards.
Deputy Alex Curtis noted that the Jersey Gambling Commission has a Code of Practice for those using gaming machines on maximum stakes and the maximum repeated uses, going on to ask: “Is there any code of practice issued to prevent unlimited purchase of quantities of scratch cards of any denomination?”
Pictured: With the Channel Islands Lottery contract up for renewal in 2027, the Jersey and Guernsey's Government are reviewing the lottery’s future direction.
The Minister said he was unaware of similar rules for scratch cards.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf also raised concerns that the charity fundraising element could be "blinding people to the potential risks of gambling” after Deputy Morel said that over £1 million in lottery proceeds was distributed locally last year.
In response, the Minister said he was not aware of strong evidence of excessive misuse of scratch cards.
However, Deputy Rob Ward cited a 2023 Liverpool University report that linked scratch card use in Guernsey to poor general health, low wellbeing, excess weight and financial troubles — which the Minister had not read.
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