Allwyn announces new National Lottery gifting campaign

Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has announced the launch if an overarching ‘Best Gift Ever’ campaign to encourage people to consider going in to stores to buy a physical National Lottery draw ticket or Scratchcard as the perfect present to include in a birthday card, to say thank you or congratulations, or simply just because!

The new campaign assets feature either an iconic National Lottery pink ticket or a Scratchcard, with taglines such as Because everyone has a birthday and Happy ‘Don’t get me anything’ Day. All ads will also display the ‘Best Gift Ever’ strapline and a specially-designed ‘18+ Gift Responsibly’ mark – to re-iterate the need for people to still be 18 or older to buy, gift, receive and play.

Already appearing on radio, out-of-home and print, the new campaign will develop over the coming weeks and months. June will see a ‘Best Gift Ever’ in-store takeover – featuring playstation inserts, posters, wobblers and counter cards – and the campaign will then shift focus in the lead-up to Christmas, traditionally The National Lottery’s biggest gifting moment.

“Whether it’s a Lotto, EuroMillions, Set For Life ticket or a Scratchcard, National Lottery games area great little gift that people can buy in store to give to adult family or friends,” Alex Green, Allwyn’s director of channel operations, commented.

“Not only could the ticket go on to win a fantastic prize, but by buying one, they’re also helping raise vital money for National Lottery-funded projects. So, when your customers are shopping for birthday, anniversary, congratulatory or thank you gifts, why not suggest they pop a Lucky Dip or Scratchcard in their card?

In line with Allwyn’s commitment to protecting players and operating in a socially responsible way, from 1 October, the operator will be introducing a 10-Scratchcard per transaction limit in stores – matching the existing limit for authorised online retailer partners.

As the vast majority of in-store players already buy far fewer Scratchcards than this at one time, Allwyn said these players won’t see any difference when making their purchases. However, the new in-store cap will help to minimise the likelihood of any excessive play, while still giving players the opportunity to buy up to 10 games in one go to give as gifts.

“In line with making sure The National Lottery remains a trusted and safe environment, we’ll also be setting a new standard for National Lottery player protection by introducing an in-store Scratchcard limit later this year. We’ll be speaking to retailers over the coming months about how this will work and, as always, are grateful for their help and support in preventing underage and excessive play in their stores,” Green added.