Britain’s National Lottery has agreed to withdraw £10 instant win games from its website after research by the Gambling Commission suggested that they may pose a link with problem gambling.

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The study, carried out last year, indicated the possibility that higher priced games could lead to difficulties for some players. Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, has seen its income from instant win games rise steeply to £750m in the past decade. The games now represent 10 per cent of its sales.

The games differ from the normal lottery tickets because they are played like video games on a phone or computer. There are 42 games and stakes vary from 50p to £5 per spin. The £10 games have been removed, but concerns remain about the lower-priced games.

Camelot is in the course of reapplying for the National Lottery concession. Its licence runs out in 2023. The company’s response to the concerns are that the games are distinctive from gambling and low-risk. It contends that the UK lottery is 59th in the world in per-capita spend and only two per cent of its players play only instant win games.