Press release: Government considers society lotteries reform to benefit good causes

• The consultation will recommend raising the maximum amount society lotteries can raise for good causes from £10 million to £100 million per year
• Consultation will recommend raising maximum draw prize
• Large society lotteries sales limits were last raised in 2009

A consultation has today been launched on changes to the amount of money society lotteries can raise for good causes.

The Government recommends increasing the maximum draw prize from its current limit of £400,000 to £500,000. The consultation will also ask for views on increasing the number of tickets society lotteries can sell to a value of £100 million per year and the amount they can raise per draw to £5 million.

The move would allow charities and community groups to increase fundraising methods through society lotteries, while protecting the National Lottery’s ability to raise money for good causes.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society said:

Society lotteries make a vital difference to communities up and down the country. They raise hundreds of millions of pounds every year, supporting our veterans, lifeboats, hospices, air ambulances and many other great causes.

They are an important fundraising tool for charities and we want to ensure that both society lotteries and the National Lottery are able to thrive now and in the future.

Society lotteries – such as those run by charities, The Health Lottery and People’s Postcode Lottery – raised over £255 million for good causes in 2016/17.

The individual draw limit for large society lotteries was last raised in 2009. The government’s decision to consult follows the sector’s calls for limits to be increased.

The consultation will run for ten weeks and is open to members of the public.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Society lotteries are lotteries run by charities and other non-commercial organisations such as sports clubs to allow them to raise money for the good causes they support.

The Gambling Act sets the current limits for society lotteries as £4 million sales per draw, £10 million sales per year and a maximum draw prize of £400,000. The per draw sales limit was last changed in 2009.

For further information, please call Hannah Thornley at the DCMS Press Office on: 0207 211 6276.

Examples of society lotteries include:

People’s Postcode Lottery has raised more than £310 million for UK charities since 2005. The money raised is awarded to good causes through a collection of themed charity trusts, and also directly supports a range of charities including Oxfam, Dogs Trust, Maggie’s and PDSA.

The Health Lottery has raised over £58 million since its launch in September 2011. It supports local health causes in England, Scotland and Wales through 51 local community interest companies. Grants have supported charities like Carers Trust, Dementia UK, and Mencap.

Macmillan Lottery raises funds to support different areas of Macmillan’s work for people affected by cancer.

British Legion’s Poppy Lottery supports the vital work of The Royal British Legion helping serving and ex-Service men and women and their families across the UK.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution runs a Lifeboat Lottery raising funds to support their vital work helping to save lives at sea.

Air Ambulances across the UK raise money through lotteries to support local air ambulance services.