Call for warnings on Lottery scratch cards

The Heritage Secretary Virginia Bottomley came under pressure from the Labour party yesterday to introduce a health warning on National Lottery scratchcards.

A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlighted the "addictive nature" of the game. It also claimed 20 per cent of calls now received by Gamblers Anonymous were related to the National Lottery.

But the National Lottery organisers, Camelot, immediately ruled out the possibility of health warnings being introduced on their cards. Its research showed average spending on Instants was just pounds 2 a week, a spokeswoman said.