Whately to be in charge of gambling at DCMS

Helen Whately will replace Rebecca Pow as the minister with responsibility for gambling at the DCMS.

UK.- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has a new minister with responsibility for gambling. Helen Whately will replace Rebecca Pow, who was in charge of that position for just two months after succeeding Mims Davies in July in the DCMS.

The official title for Whately’s new position is Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS). She will be in charge of gambling and lotteries.

The new official is the third minister in less than a year to hold that role. Tracey Couch was in charge of gambling until she quit on November over the delay of the FOBTs reduction. Crouch had been DCMS’ gambling person since May 2015.

Whitely will also be in charge of overseeing arts, museums and cultural properties. She will also supervise libraries heritage, tourism, cultural diplomacy and public appointments. On the other hand, Pow will work for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

UK could change minimum age to buy scratchcards

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has responded to two Parliamentary inquiries in regards to the National Lottery. The ACS said that if the government decided to increase the minimum age to buy scratchcards, it will work with convenience retailers to make sure the changes are properly implemented.

The association said that if the government decided to implement the changes and increase the age to 18, it recommends that it should also increase the minimum for all National Lottery products, including the draw-based games, Forecourt Trader reported.