UK Government reveals ‘distribution updates’ rejection
UK Government reveals ‘distribution updates’ rejection

The UK Government has knocked back proposals to give weekly updates on ticket sales to firms that distribute out proceeds to good causes.
The rejection concludes a consultation period, which was called to analyse the feasibility of proposals for an overhaul on the way money is distributed to charities from society lotteries.
However, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that it “does not receive this level of granular data from the Gambling Commission and questions the added value it would bring”.
It added: “Sales vary week by week due to a diverse range of factors, in particular, whether there have been any rollover jackpots, limiting the robustness of any conclusions regarding trends that could be drawn on a week by week basis.”
Regarding the consultation period, the government had previously emphasised: “Society lotteries play a vital part of the giving landscape by enabling charities and other societies, such as sports clubs, to run lotteries for good causes. The amount a society can raise is subject to limits of £4m sales per draw, £10m sales per year and a maximum prize of £400,000.
“Our preferred options would allow a tenfold increase in the amount that a large society lottery can raise per year, bringing the annual limit to £100m. The per draw sales limit would rise to £5m and the maximum prize to £500,000.”
Totally Gaming says: The debate over a potential reform of lotteries doesn't seem to be coming to a conclusion, however as lottery continues to retain its popularity, a reform into the regularity of updates on donations to charitable causes appears inevitable.