Guernsey's gamble on scratchcards

While spending on them climbs, about £1m. extra revenue is generated annually, yet sales of the Channel Island Christmas lottery tickets – proceeds of which go to funding charities – have fallen since 2014.

It is a trend mirrored in the UK, where the popularity of draw-based games has fallen as scratchcard sales rise rapidly.

Despite the population disparity, Guernsey significantly outdoes Jersey in scratchcard sales, where the proceeds from the sales do go to charity.

It is no surprise that faced with this background, the Association of Guernsey Charities has sounded an alarm about funding. Remember too that this States is becoming more and more reliant on the charitable sector to plug the gaps in services that it does not provide.

The need for funding is in part evidenced by the association receiving requests for more than £600,000 by local charities. The Christmas draw raised £190,077 for it to distribute.

The States' Trading Supervisory Board is responsible for running the lotteries. It is now faced with a conundrum.

Does it work to revitalise the Christmas draw, or perhaps look at its powers to authorise new lotteries for specific causes? Reassurance is also needed that it is getting value for money from the private involvement in the ticket sales.

It needs to consider too whether the charitable sector should benefit from the trend in scratchcard sales, currently used to subsidise Beau Sejour.

That would require an acceptance that the public spending a significant of money on scratchcards is something to be accepted for the greater good, but more needs to be understood about the trend in sales.

Is the rise a sign of problem gambling and, if so, does more need to be done to combat it on top of the £15,000 set aside for Home Affairs to use? There is scant public evidence to go on beyond the financial lottery results released each year, and that needs to be addressed.