Camelot is committed to operating The National Lottery in a socially responsible way. On the one hand it needs to keep the Lottery’s portfolio of games exciting and fun to play, increase sales and therefore returns to the Good Causes, but not to the detriment of the vulnerable, like low income groups or underage players.

• GAME DESIGN
• EXCESSIVE PLAY
• ILLEGAL PLAY

• Background
• Who is Playing?
• Per Capita Spend
• Protecting Players
• Consulting Players

Background

The National Lottery is the most heavily regulated part of the gaming market however, as a report conducted by The National Centre for Social Research in 2000 proved, it poses the least risk.

This report found that National Lottery games are by far the most popular but attract the lowest levels of problem gambling. The highest levels of problem gambling are found among people who gamble in casinos or bet with a bookmaker on sports or other events (other than horse or dog races).

Some commentators have described The National Lottery as a "tax on the poor", however Camelot’s first Social Report (published in 2000) found that the majority of the pressure groups we consulted with did not see it this way. They saw poverty, rather than The National Lottery, as the problem, and research has shown that as income declines, so does the average spend on lottery products.

However Camelot works constantly with its regulator, the National Lottery Commission, and gambling pressure groups to ensure that no lottery games encourage addiction or excessive play. And we seem to have got the balance about right - the success of The National Lottery is based on a large amount of people playing a little rather than smaller amounts of people playing a lot.

Who is Playing?

Around 70% of the adult population play at least one National Lottery game regularly (up to once a month). Players are spread across the socio-economic groups in line with national demographics. There is remarkably little difference between income groups, age groups, or gender amongst players.

Per Capita Spend

Despite being the fifth biggest lottery in the world, the UK National Lottery is only ranked 58th in the world in terms of per capita spend (Source: La Fleur’s 2003 World Lottery Almanac). So we seem to have the balance about right - large numbers of people playing the lottery, but spending relatively small amounts.

Protecting Players

Camelot is committed to encouraging responsible play. For Instant Win Games players are able to set up Play Limits. These are daily and weekly restrictions that players determine for themselves to help remain fully in control of their play activity. Players can also choose to exclude themselves from a one or all Instant Win Games, if they feel that they are unable to limit their expenditure when playing a specific game. Learn more about Player Limits.

Camelot has supported research on gambling addiction; education about responsible gambling in youth clubs and schools; supported Gamcare’s telephone helpline for people affected by gambling. We are currently exploring the possibility of including this helpline number on the back of products that may be considered as a higher risk.

In addition, Camelot has worked with Gamcare to help develop policies and practices that address problem gambling. Whilst the majority of people play within their means, for some it can cause some difficulties. Gamcare advises that players should always remember the following:

• Playing National Lottery games should be entertaining and fun and not seen as a genuine way of making money;
• Avoid chasing losses;
• Only play an amount that you can afford;
• Keep track of the time and the amount of money you are spending;
• If required, make use of the play limits available for Instant Win games;
• If you need to have a break from play, remember that you can exclude yourself from one or all of the Instant Win games;
• If you need to talk to someone about problem gambling then contact Gamcare.

If you are concerned that gambling may be playing too large a part in your life (or someone else’s), the following questions may help you decide:

Do you have a problem? Ask yourself the following:

1. Do you stay away from work, college or school to gamble?
2. Do you gamble to escape from a boring or unhappy life?
3. When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost and in despair and feel the need to gamble again as soon as possible?
4. Do you gamble until your last penny is gone, even money you need for essentials?
5. Have you ever lied to cover up the amount of money or time that you have gambled?
6. Have others ever criticised your gambling?
7. Have you lied, stolen or borrowed just to get money to gamble or to pay gambling debts?
8. Are you reluctant to spend money on anything else?
9. Have you lost interest in your family and friends?
10. Do you feel the need to win back any losses as soon as possible?
11. Do you feel depressed or even suicidal because of your gambling?

The more you answer yes to any of the above questions, the more likely you are to have a serious gambling problem. To speak to someone about this contact Gamcare in confidence on 0845 6000133. You can also visit the GamCare website.

Gambling can be great fun, but it's also important to know when to stop and what the danger signs are. So we've produced a guide to sensible gambling to help you stay informed, whether you're a parent, concerned about a friend or worried about your own gambling.

Consulting Players

Camelot is embedding measures to prevent excessive play across its game design, marketing and sales strategies.

We want to work closely with our stakeholders, in particular players and pressure groups representing vulnerable people, to develop and deliver on strategy, policy, procedures and practice in preventing excessive play.

Every year we go out to our stakeholders and actively seek their opinion of what we are doing and how we can do it better.

In April 2000 we published our first Social Report which thoroughly examined how we put our values into practice and how we measure up to the expectations of our stakeholders.

The report has been acknowledged as ‘leading edge’, winning ACCA’s @Best First Time Social report’ award. We now report on an annual basis - to find out more or read the latest report, please visit the Camelot website.