Hundreds of Post Offices to axe National Lottery tickets and scratchcards
Hundreds of Post Offices across the UK will no longer sell National Lottery tickets and scratchcards, the new operator has said.
The Post Office ended its group contract with the National Lottery last year, but branch managers were still allowed to sign up by choice. New operator Allwyn, which took over the National Lottery licence from Camelot on February 1, told PA news agency that 900 of the 5,800 branches that had previously stocked National Lottery products have not signed up to continue.
Previously, the Post Office took around 1% from each transaction. More than 600 branches had chosen to stop selling National Lottery products for reasons including religious beliefs and low sales, while up to 200 were unable to because of county court judgements. However, the National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) said many had decided to stop because of the cost of buying scratchcards.
Lottery retailers are not allowed to sell tickets for draws without also selling scratchcards. Calum Greenhow, chief executive of the NFSP, said retailers need to sell around £400 worth of scratchcards a week to make it worth their while.
Mr Greenhow and his wife run a Post Office in Scotland and are among those who have decided not to continue selling under the new licence. He told PA: “We’d have ended up in a situation where we would’ve lost a significant amount of money. We would still be selling (lottery tickets) if it wasn’t for the scratchcards.”
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Andria Vidler, the new UK boss of Allwyn, told PA that the “vast majority” of branches had signed up to the new licence. She said: “The high street is something that we really support. The investment in the lottery, both physical and digital – retailers see this as a real encouragement to get people out.”
The takeover from Camelot to Allwyn, which has just signed a new 10-year licence, marks the first time responsibility of operating the National Lottery has changed since its launch almost 30 years ago. Ms Vidler recently told The Mirror that Allwyn plans to return the draw to its 90s heyday when millions gathered round the TV to check their numbers. She said: “I want people to feel excited by The National Lottery again and players to believe that it could be them pulling out a winning ticket.
“Over time, we will introduce new ways of playing which will bring back the magic of those early days. We want more games that are more entertaining, that attract more people, because ultimately that means we raise more for National Lottery-funded projects.”
However, a promise to cut tickets to £1 is thought to be under review. Allwyn has also said delayed plans for new draw-based games which will hit sales and the amount it can give to good causes.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We have taken advantage of a change in the ownership of the National Lottery to deliver more money for Postmasters. They now have independent retailer agreements with Allwyn, meaning Postmasters who sell National Lottery products will receive all sales commission, as our processing costs for sales are entirely removed.
“Postmasters had consistently told us that they wanted to work directly with the National Lottery. Nearly 4,000 Post Offices that previously sold National Lottery products via our agreement with Camelot have successfully transitioned to Allwyn.”
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