10 signatures reached
To: MPs
Stop National Lottery and all scratchcard sales during lockdown
Suspend the shop-based sale of scratchcards and lottery tickets until it is safe to go out for non-essential shopping again.
Why is this important?
I work in mental health, but before I began doing so I was able to see the pernicious effects of the National Lottery when it began in 1994. National lotteries prey on the vulnerable and tickets are almost exclusively bought by poor people, to finance the kind of national initiatives that could be paid for by taxing the rich. My clients have dementia and many cannot remember having just bought one so they buy another.
A common effect of buying scratchcards is to receive a small win that prompts people to return to the shop to get more. We now have an extremely dangerous health situation to deal with and I know for a fact that many people on benefits will be leaving the house purely for this reason.
All sorts of organisations are selling the scratchcards, not just Camelot. However, I think banning their sale across the board could be a quick win. This is important.
