A new programme, called Operation Guardian, has been launched by Allwyn to help retailers sell the National Lottery more safely. The expanded mystery shopper and knowledge check programme will look to increase support with challenges such as underage or excessive play among National Lottery users.

Operation Guardian includes three different types of store visits: an Underage Play Mystery Shop, an Excessive Play Mystery Shop, and a new Healthy Play Knowledge Check.

Visits are designed to help support retailers by checking they have the right knowledge, tools and safeguards in place.

Responsible retailing topics covered in Operation Guardian include acceptable forms of ID, how and when to refuse a sale, identifying any potential signs of excessive play, offering support to players, and 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. 

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.”

To ensure your store is ready for Operation Guardian, Allwyn recommends regular training, detailed records and recording refused sales in a refusals registers, and accessible signage.

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