The age limit for playing National Lottery scratchcards and online instant win games could be increased to 18, the UK Government has said.

Culture minister Mims Davies said she was launching a consultation on whether the existing age limit of 16 for all National Lottery games should be raised for some or all games and products.

She told the House of Commons that a “split could be the best approach”, which would involve raising the age limit for instant win games while draw-based games, such as Lotto, remain at 16. Labour said the minimum age for all gambling products should be 18.