Key points:
- The first draw of the National Lottery was made 30 years ago today
- Over £50bn ($63.4bn) has been raised for good causes
The UK National Lottery is celebrating its 30th anniversary today, marking the first-ever draw made in the region.
On 19 November 1994, the BBC hosted the live lottery draw show for the first National Lottery draw, presented by Noel Edmonds, with millions of players buying tickets.
The National Lottery at the time was operated by Camelot, which up until earlier this year had been the only operator of the National Lottery in the UK.
However, this was finally changed in February when the Fourth National Lottery Licence began, with Allwyn being handed the responsibility of being the new operator.
According to the National Lottery, since its first draw 30 years ago, players have helped to raise more than £50bn ($63.4bn) for good causes, which goes towards arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charitable causes, etc.
Good to know: The current operator of the National Lottery in the UK, Allwyn, has today announced the appointment of Elena Chambers as its new Group Chief Transformation and Corporate Development Officer
An example of this was seen last month, when the Grade II listed Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare was awarded £10m in National Lottery funding, aiding in its preservation.
In a post on its LinkedIn, the Gambling Commission showed recognition for the 30th anniversary, saying: “Thank you to our colleagues who - through the regulation of the National Lottery License - protect the interest of players and maximise the returns to good causes.
"Through their hard work, we can ensure community, arts, sports, and heritage projects continue to make a real difference to millions of people nationwide.”
