Coroner urges UK Gambling Commission to include National Lottery in GAMSTOP

Coroner Identifies Gap in Self-Exclusion Coverage

Emma Whitting, the senior coroner for Bedfordshire and Luton, has formally recommended that the UK National Lottery be included in the GAMSTOP self-exclusion program. The recommendation follows the death of Stephen Goff, 54, in his flat in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on August 18, 2025. Goff took his own life after excessive gambling on the lottery.

Whitting noted that National Lottery draws are not currently covered by GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion program that bars access to licensed gambling services such as sports betting and casino games. According to the coroner’s findings, Goff had previously been excluded from other gambling services. However, because the National Lottery was not part of the excluded list, he was able to continue accessing these products. Records indicate that Goff spent his bank account on the lottery before his death.

Regulator and Operator Discussions Underway

Whitting sent the case report to the Prevention of Future Death (PFD) scheme, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and GAMSTOP. The PFD scheme is designed to identify systemic failures that contribute to deaths, allowing regulators to implement changes to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In response, the UK Gambling Commission acknowledged the specific risk profile of lottery games while indicating openness to regulatory changes. A UKGC spokesperson stated: “Although National Lottery draw-based games are generally lower risk when compared against other gambling products, we will consider the potential for further changes, including the possibility of extending the scope of Gamstop in some form.”

The UKGC is currently in talks with Allwyn, the operator of the National Lottery, as well as with GAMSTOP regarding further consumer protections. These discussions aim to determine if and how the self-exclusion tool can be expanded to include draw-based lottery products. The regulator’s response suggests that while lottery products are viewed as lower risk than other gambling formats, the definition of “gambling” for self-exclusion purposes is under review for potential broadening.

Family Advocacy and Systemic Implications

Freya Geoff, Stephen Goff’s daughter, has publicly advocated for the inclusion of the National Lottery in the GAMSTOP list of blocked websites. Geoff described the current omission as a “glaring omission” that allowed her father to continue gambling despite his exclusion from other platforms. Her statement underscores the impact of regulatory gaps on individual families and the broader debate over the scope of consumer protection in the UK gambling market.

No immediate changes to the GAMSTOP platform have been announced. However, the ongoing talks between the UKGC, Allwyn, and GAMSTOP indicate that the issue is under active review. The case highlights a specific gap in the current consumer protection framework, where draw-based games operate outside the primary self-exclusion mechanism used to protect vulnerable consumers from other forms of licensed gambling.