Currently, 16-year-olds are allowed to buy lottery tickets within the UK but Mims Davies, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has announced plans to look into the issue.

During the consultation, the government will explore the option of bringing the National Lottery's minimum age up to 18, in line with all other gambling.

However, one of the options may be to raise the minimum age for lottery scratchcards only, while keeping the main lottery at 16.

Although unlikely, the government may also decide to leave the current age restrictions as they are.

Davies said: "The age of 18 is widely recognised as an age one becomes an adult, gaining full citizenship rights and the responsibilities.

"At present, all lotteries can be played from 16 - one of the very few age limits for gambling under-18 products."