The Postcode Lottery is a very safe game, according to renowned scientist Mark Griffiths, a Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University. He conducted a social responsibility risk assessment on Novamedia’s Postcode Lotteries across five countries.

Novamedia, a social enterprise based in the Netherlands currently operates seven lottery games in five different countries (the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany and Norway). The games have over 13 million subscriptions (i.e., players sign up in advance to play). Over the past three decades, these lottery games have generated almost €11 billion for civil society.

Risk assessment
Ten years ago, Griffiths conducted a social responsibility risk assessment on the People’s Postcode Lottery in Great Britain. That previous analysis focused on the potential risk of the game for vulnerable players as the most at-risk group of players generally. He categorised the Lottery as “low-risk”. This categorisation was due to several elements, including the discontinuous nature of the game, no illusion of control over the game, no chance to reinvest winnings, no ‘near misses’, and the fixed stake at a relatively low price.

His new research updates the previous report and carries out another social responsibility risk assessment of Postcode Lotteries across the five countries where the game is currently available. The analysis focuses on the potential risk of the game for vulnerable players as the most at-risk group of players generally.

Low risk
In carrying out his risk assessment the professor used the game risk tool GAM-GaRD (Gaming Assessment Measure – Guidance about Responsible Design). ‘The GAM-GaRD scores compared to other games makes the Postcode Lottery game one of the least risky (i.e., safest) games in the worldwide gambling market. Overall, the Postcode Lottery was found to be low risk for vulnerable and normal players.’

Griffiths: ‘Rapid event frequency is widely accepted as one of the most influential factors for developing gambling problems. In this respect, the Postcode Lottery game can be considered a very safe game in comparison to almost any other game currently on the market. Most of the draws are monthly (although a few are weekly) which means the event frequency is very low.’

Professor Griffiths also emphasizes the Postcode Lotteries do not appear to have any specific appeal for under-aged players.

Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction: 'The Postcode Lottery game is a very safe game in comparison to almost any other game currently on the market'.

Read the full report Novamedia / Postcode Lotteries: a game risk assessment.

7-Point Code of Conduct for Responsible Play

In a seven-point Code of Conduct Novamedia sets out the agreed principles the Postcode Lotteries commit to. It covers topics like offer, limits, payments, research, information, responsible marketing and knowledge requirements. Find the Code of Conduct for Responsible Play here.