Earlier this year, the minimum age to play The National Lottery changed from 16 to 18. Camelot caught up with One Stop retailer Aman Uppal to get his thoughts on how he has successfully implemented changes for both his staff and his customers alongside preparations for the legal change which came into force on 1 October 2021.
Get ahead of the game – early preparation gives you more time to get staff and customers on board:
“We felt prepared for the change because we worked with our franchise partner and our Camelot rep. Our Retail Sales Executive (RSE) had given us a timeline to stick to. We were told about it in advance, which allowed us to prepare really thoroughly.
“Being compliant ahead of legal enforcement removes any risk from us, makes the staff feel prepared and lets our customers know that we’re “on it”. It’s the best way to do it. Get ahead of the curve.”
Get to know your Camelot RSE and work closely with them. If you don’t ask, you won’t know:
“For us, it’s about carrying on with our high standards and making our staff aware of the changes so they can maintain those high standards. I would also say that if you don’t ask, you don’t know. If there are parts of the change you’re unsure of, then don’t be afraid to ask your Camelot rep; that’s what they’re there for.”
Make your staff aware of your standards, and hold them to those, through continuous training:
“The thing I liked most about the rule change process was the training for my staff. The National Lottery was always the one we had to do separately, but now fireworks, alcohol – all of it – are covered under one training session due to the new 18+ age restriction. It’s a one-size-fits-all rule now, which makes our life a lot easier.
“It was an easy transition. It was just a case of just telling staff, ‘Look, do what you do for alcohol’. It was the same thing – apply that Challenge 25 mentality.”
Challenge 25 is a simple and effective policy for all age-restricted goods. Make sure your staff are always on top of this:
“I’d feel super-confident we’d pass any Operation 18 Mystery Shop visit. With all age-restricted products now at the same 18+ limit, my staff won’t have to think about whether a person looks 16 or 17. The Challenge 25 policy applies across the board, and it works really well.”
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