UK Gambling Commission launches lottery transparency consultation

UK Gambling commission (UKGC) has launched a consultation concerning the issue of transparency in society lotteries, with the aim of introducing changes which will make it easier for the public to see where the money raised from ticket sales is going.

In Its latest consultation, the Gambling commission proposes that operators must make it clear to players exactly which charitable organisation or society the proceeds will be passed to before the player purchases a lottery ticket.

The UKGC is additionally calling for lottery organisers to publish figures which confirm how much money raised from ticket sales is being used by lottery firms for organisational expenditure and administration costs.

A total of £404.9m was raised for good causes during the period from July-September 2016, rising 9.9% from the previous quarter of 2016.

Its consultation is also looking to address what the Commission views as an 'instant win' and 'low frequency lottery', incorporates recent changes to the remote technical standards required by online gambling businesses, as well as providing updates relating to changes to regulatory data collection requirements.

In a statement on the UKGC website, Sarah Gardner, executive director of the UKGC said: “Society lotteries are a crucial source of income for many good causes across the country, whether a hospice, air-ambulance services, community groups or other charitable causes. We want to improve consumer confidence in the lotteries sector to protect those much needed funds that benefit so many societies across the country.

Transparency plays a vital role in this, as ultimately consumers need to be confident that the money they are contributing via ticket sales is going to the people and organisations that needed it the most.

While the proposed changes will come as no surprise to the lottery sector, we want the wider industry and public to give their views on the proposals.”

The UKGC consultation ‘Should society lotteries be more transparent about the money raised for good causes?’ is open for responses until September 30th.