UK may double charity lottery sales limit

The government has confirmed that it is considering plans to double the charity lottery sales limit to £100m per year.

UK.- The UK government is carrying out a review of possible reforms to the charity lotteries sector and evaluating a potential 100 per cent increase in the sales limit.

Charities minister Nigel Huddleston has confirmed that a review is underway following questions from Ian Murray, the Labour Party MP for Edinburgh South. The current sales limit for charity lotteries is £50m per year.

Huddleston, a Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire, said: “The government increased the annual sales limit for society lotteries from £10m to £50m in July 2020, as part of a package of reforms designed to enable both the National Lottery and society lotteries to thrive, and consequently to grow overall returns to good causes. We have committed to reviewing these reforms, and that is now underway.

“We want to understand the impact of these changes, before we consider looking again at the case for a £100m lottery licence and any additional conditions that may accompany that.”

Tony Vick, chair of the Lotteries Council, said the changes made so far had been effective but called for further reforms.

He said: “A little over a year following their introduction, these changes have proven hugely positive, freeing up more funding for supported charities, while lowering costs and cutting bureaucracy for operators – just as the government intended.

“We urge ministers to continue progress on charity lottery reform, particularly given that a £100m annual sales limit remains favoured by the sector and was the government’s own ‘preferred option’ following extensive consultation on the matter.”

The news comes after Australian lottery firm Jumbo Interactive, which also owns and manages lotteries in the UK, urged the UK government to close a loophole that allows prize draws to avoid regulations that cover lotteries and raffles. It called on the government to regulate prize draws and competitions like gambling.

See also: British Gambling Commission aims to speed up enforcement process