The National Lottery is being played by thousands of 16 and 17 year olds, leading to fears of a gambling addiction epidemic.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris said : “The lottery is clearly competing with mainstream gambling companies, but they have the advantage of being able to target children.”

Such a move to raise the minimum age limit would also be welcomed by the Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield, who told the Sunday Times: “It’s surprising, given the large, worrying and well-established numbers of children who problem gamble, that any gaming platform should have a lower age limit than any other.”

In response a spokesperson for the National Lottery operators Camelot, stated: “We agree that it is appropriate to review the minimum age for playing National Lottery games for the next licence period, as it has been more than 25 years since these restrictions were set.”