The National Lottery is marking 30 years of Scratchcards with a limited-edition Scratch-Coin created with artist and illustrator Hattie Stewart, and the promotion started on Saturday, 23 May. Ten specially selected retail partners across the UK are each receiving 500 coins, which will be given away with any National Lottery Scratchcard purchase while stocks last.
Allwyn, which operates The National Lottery under licence, said the giveaway is meant to turn a routine purchase into a small celebration for players and shop staff alike. The company also launched a new £300,000 Birthday Scratchcard priced at £2, offering an overall 1 in 3.33 chance of winning a prize and a top prize of £300,000.
The promotion is tied to the wider anniversary push around Scratchcards, one of the most familiar parts of the National Lottery’s offer. The 10 selected retailers were picked for their long-standing partnership with The National Lottery and their efforts to champion its role in local communities, a nod to how much of the game’s public face still depends on small shops rather than big campaigns. That same retail network also sits behind the draw games that keep bringing players back, from major prizes such as the £7m must-win draw scheduled for Saturday to the EuroMillions jackpot that climbed to £62 million on a May 12 draw.
Karl Southworth said the company wanted to create a fun moment that rewards standout retailers and helps generate excitement and footfall. He described the coin as a way to recognise a small group of gold-standard partners who go above and beyond in bringing The National Lottery to life in their communities, while also pointing to the wider network of 43,500 partners that help raise £33m every week for National Lottery-funded projects. Those funds support grassroots sport, local arts, heritage and community initiatives, which is why even a small promotional item sits inside a much larger system.
Stewart said scratching remains a satisfying ritual built around anticipation, excitement and a brief moment of hope. She said she wanted the coin to feel fun, celebratory and full of personality, and added that people still improvise with keys, cards, rings and fingernails when they do not have a coin to hand. The Scratch-Coin may be limited, but the pitch is clear: make the anniversary feel collectible, and make a purchase feel like part of the celebration.
What happens next is simple. The coins are being handed out first come, first served, and once they are gone, they are gone. For the 10 retailers chosen for the promotion, the point is not just the giveaway itself but the reminder that the National Lottery’s biggest public moments still begin on the shop counter.
