The latest results from the Operation Guardian programme show that 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 Operation Guardian programme, introduced by Allwyn in 2024, was designed to help retailers sell National Lottery products more safely. It builds on previous National Lottery initiatives by combining mystery shopping with enhanced training and support.

In 2025, the programme expanded further, with 16,298 store visits across three categories:

• 4,298 Underage Play Mystery Shop visits
• 4,000 Excessive Play Mystery Shop visits
• 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 proof-of-age checks, Allwyn 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. 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 groundbreaking Retail Training Centre website and its 24/7 access to store training, as well as being supported by retail field visits. Since the Retail Training Centre’s inception in 2024, over 100,000 training assets have been engaged with by independent stores to sell National Lottery products responsibly.

James Dunbar, Allwyn’s Retail Strategy & 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.

“In 2025, we’ve taken major steps forward with the expansion of Operation Guardian and strengthened measures like awareness of the 10-Scratchcard limit. These efforts have driven record compliance rates and improved knowledge scores across the board. This progress shows how seriously our retail partners take player protection, and I want to thank them for their outstanding dedication and professionalism.”

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Allwyn announced that as part of its new Operation Guardian programme, they organised over 8200 mystery shopper visits last year to check retailers were challenging players who appeared under the age of 18.

The final results show that a record-breaking 92.3% of National Lottery retailers correctly asked for ID as proof of age on their first visit.

The visits are carried out by people who are over 18 – so as not to inadvertently cause a retailer to break the law – but who look younger. Retailers who sell to a mystery shopper on the first visit will be given additional training and subsequently re-visited. Retailers who sell on three separate occasions to mystery shoppers may have their Lottery terminal removed.

Allwyn introduced Operation Guardian in 2024, with the new programme building on and expanding previous mystery shopper and retail training initiatives to increase the levels of support for retailers – ultimately enabling them to sell National Lottery products even more safely.

In total, over 16,000 store visits were carried in 2024 out as part of Operation Guardian. In addition to the 8,200+ proof-of-age visits, Allwyn carried out 4,000 ‘excessive play’ visits to ensure stores could provide support information to players requesting help with their play if needed. Towards the end of the year, this also incorporated a smaller-scale mystery shop exercise for the new 10-Scratchcard per purchase limit, which Allwyn officially launched in October 2024.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

The final part of Operation Guardian, a ‘knowledge check’, encompassed 4,000 visits which assessed store staff’s knowledge around preventing underage play and minimising excessive play. Retailers were tested using six core questions, and the 2024 results show that 85% of retailers answered five or more of the questions correctly.

Any retailer not passing one of the three parts making up Operation Guardian received additional training from Allwyn. This is further to the training they regularly receive either face-to-face via Allwyn’s increased retail sales team or through its new Retailer Training Centre. In 2024, Allwyn made over 130,000 face-to-face and phone contacts to support National Lottery retailers in selling The National Lottery responsibly.

Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford said: “A huge congratulations to our 40,000-plus National Lottery retailers for their commitment to selling The National Lottery responsibly and raising their standards to the highest levels ever seen.

“Participant protection is central to Allwyn’s plans for growing The National Lottery responsibly over the next decade and this is clear to see from the successful introductions of new training and initiatives in 2024, including Operation Guardian and the 10-Scratchcard limit.

“We’re delighted that our work in this area is already bearing fruit with these record-breaking figures. This is all down to the diligence of our retail partners, and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their excellent work and dedication in this area.”

The post Lottery retailers praised for record-breaking results in mystery shopper age checks first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

In line with National Lottery retailers’ commitment to being responsible retailers, Operation Guardian comprises three different types of store visits: an Underage Play Mystery Shop, an Excessive Play Mystery Shop, and a new Healthy Play Knowledge Check.

Together, the visits are designed to help support retailers by checking they have the right knowledge, tools and safeguards in place to prevent underage play and minimise excessive play.

With the inclusion of the brand-new Healthy Play Knowledge Check, Operation Guardian can support stores that may require any improvements to their knowledge about responsible retailing topics related to The National Lottery. This includes areas such as:

• the legal age to play of 18+
• acceptable forms of ID
• how and when to refuse a sale
• identifying any potential signs of excessive play
• offering support to players
• understanding spend limits

The visits also provide an opportunity to guide retailers to where they can find further information and training tools, such as the new Retailer Training Centre, which has all the responsible retailing information required for store owners and their staff (www.tnlpartnerstraining.co.uk).

Allwyn’s Director of Channel Operations, Alex Green, said: “We’re really pleased to be launching an expanded store visit programme to further encourage retailers to sell National Lottery products to the really high standards we’ve come to expect from them.

“With the addition of a new Healthy Play Knowledge Check, we’ll be able to offer greater support to our retail partners and empower them to be all-round responsible retailers. The expanded programme dovetails nicely with the new Retailer Training Centre that we launched earlier in the year, which features all the necessary training and information for retailers to view and complete so that they are fully prepared for Operation Guardian visits.”

Top Tips to make sure your store is ready for Operation Guardian:

• Regular training: Ensure staff are kept up to date with responsible retailing information. Has your store completed the Healthy Play training modules on the Retailer Training Centre yet? If not and your store is eligible, visit tnlpartnerstraining.co.uktoday*
• Detailed records: Refused sales must be recorded using your Refusals Register inside your Retailer Organiser folder
• Accessible signage: 18+ signage must be visible to players at all times and retailers are encouraged to use Challenge/Think 25 when asking for ID

If retailers have any questions about Operation Guardian, they can ask their sales representative during their next visit.

The post Allwyn launches Operation Guardian to help sell National Lottery even more safely first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.