Memorandum from the Lotteries Council
(DGB 43)
1. The Lotteries Council represents organisations
which are licensed either by the Gaming Board for Great Britain
or local authorities to offer lottery fundraising products for
general sale in the UK. A list of the current membership is attached.
The Council also has to be mindful of the interests of small lottery
operators who are not members of the Council, as they have no
other representative body.
2. Lottery fundraising has been an essential
part of the fabric of British life for generations, encouraging
self-help groups to contribute towards the provision of amenities
ranging from local scout huts through hospices and medical services
to major sports stadia. Such groups have achieved this through
their ability to evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. In
doing so they have relieved considerable pressure on the public
purse.
3. In order to continue with this work,
it is essential that societies' lotteries are able to operate
in an environment which gives:
— Protection from pay-to-enter commercial
lotteries operating behind a thin veil of skill.
— The ability to operate in a manner
which maximises the donation to the good cause.
— Continuation of the right to operate
more than one lottery closing on the same date.
— Continuation of the right to operate
draws at public events.
— The ability to charge for entry into
a lottery whatever the public are willing to pay.
— The ability to feature prizes which
retain their attraction in relation to inflation.
— Freedom from arbitrarily applied
limits on maximum lottery size.
— Relief from the over-use of criminal
sanction for minor errors in lottery operation.
— An environment where it is no more
time-consuming to register a change of S5 lottery scheme than
it is now.
— Recognition of the unique nature
of society lotteries within the gambling sector and the imposition
of no extra financial burden on their operation.
4. It is the view of the Lotteries Council
that the Bill in its present draft form would fail to permit society
lottery fundraising to adapt quickly to a world of rapidly changing
circumstances. This would not only be injurious to the community
at large, but would also place an additional financial burden
on both local and national government.
5. The Council would welcome the opportunity
to expand on these points and suggest means of incorporating them
into the Bill in a way which would have no detrimental effect
on the National Lottery, the young and vulnerable, or the probity
of societies' lotteries.
6. The Council would also respectfully request
the opportunity of raising additional matters of concern which
may arise from the fuller consultation with our members which
has not been possible in the short time between the publication
of the draft Bill and the deadline for the submission of written
evidence. These we would submit before oral evidence was given.
December 2003
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