Approximately one-fifth of post offices in the UK will discontinue the sale of lottery tickets and scratch cards following the termination of their contract with the National Lottery in 2023. Postal authorities granted branches the discretion to decide whether to continue offering gaming-related products or not, citing reasons ranging from religious beliefs to low demand.
The National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP) highlighted that scratch cards posed challenges for many post offices. Unlike before, where the main post office covered the cost of cards, individual departments must now independently fund them. Given their frequent updates every six weeks, the chances of selling out the entire circulation at the post office are minimal, as noted by the federation.
In accordance with Gambling Commission rules, retailers are prohibited from selling lottery tickets without scratch cards.
