National Lottery retailers have achieved their strongest ever performance on age-verification checks since mystery shopper visits began over 20 years ago, according to new figures from Allwyn released today (16 January).
The latest results from the Operation Guardian programme show retailers correctly asked for ID in 93.5% of first visits, setting a record for player protection.
Retailers also demonstrated record levels of understanding around minimising excessive play.
The expanded programme, introduced in 2024, was designed to help retailers sell National Lottery products more safely. It builds on previous initiatives by combining mystery shopping with enhanced training and support.
In 2025, the programme expanded further, with 16,298 store visits across three categories. There were 4,298 Underage Play Mystery Shop visits, 4,000 Excessive Play Mystery Shop visits and 8,000 Responsible Play Knowledge Check visits.
The 4,298 underage play visits tested whether retailers challenged anyone who appeared under 18. The 93.5% compliance rate on first visits represents a 1.2% improvement on 2024 figures.
Alongside the checks, Allwyn also carried out 4,000 visits focused on excessive play, ensuring retailers were adhering to the limit of no more than 10 Scratchcards per transaction.
Introduced in October 2024, this policy “represents a major step forward in promoting responsible play,” Allwyn said. “Mystery shop results in 2025 show that an impressive 80.7% of retailers were correctly enforcing the rule, a strong compliance level for a completely new measure.”
The programme also included 8,000 knowledge checks, assessing staff understanding of underage prevention and responsible play. Retailers were asked six core questions, and 88.7% answered at least five correctly, an improvement of nearly 4% on 2024.
Any retailer falling short in any area received additional training, complementing the regular support provided through Allwyn’s Retail Training Centre website and its 24/7 access to store training, as well as retail field visits.
James Dunbar, retail strategy and operations director, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our 43,500 National Lottery retailers for setting a new standard in responsible retailing. Their commitment has delivered the strongest results we’ve ever seen, and that’s a huge achievement.”
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