'Lotto tickets or scratch cards are not appropriate Christmas gifts for under-18s'

Regulator of the National Lottery, Carole Boate, urged adults to be mindful of their responsibility to protect children, by avoiding gifting them scratch cards this Christmas. File picture: Denis Minihane

People have been urged to not gift scratch cards to children this Christmas as the National Lottery Regulator found three in 10 shops in Ireland agreed to sell scratch cards to under-18s.

The plea comes as the regulator said lotto tickets or scratch cards are inappropriate Christmas gifts. National Lottery regulator, Carole Boate, urged adults to be mindful of their responsibility to protect children.