The People’s Postcode Lottery has urged the UK Government to boost the limits that have been imposed on society lotteries under the provisions of the country’s gambling legislation.
The demand has been made right ahead of the debate on society lotteries that is set to take place in Westminster Hall on December 12th.
Currently, the UK Gambling Act sets certain limits about the fund-raising that could be carried out by the society lotteries operating in the country. To date, there is a ticket sales limit estimated to £10 million on an annual basis. A limit on the tickets’ value in a separate draw has also been set to £4 million.
A total of 37 society lotteries are being managed by the People’s Postcode Lottery for a variety of causes. Now, the Lottery is urging Karen Bradley MP, the Culture Secretary, to make certain law changes that would make sure that the annual sales limit are boosted to £100 million, while the draws limit is increased to £10 million.
According to the People’s Postcode Lottery, the existing limits on social lotteries restricted charity fund-raising at a time when the need of charity organisations helping vulnerable players is constantly increasing. In addition, the Lottery shared its concerns that the existing limits are currently capping the amount that can be raised by the individual society lotteries available, because of the fact that the number of tickets sold constantly rises, while the number of draws that are allowed to be held before reaching the limit of £10 million is reduced.
On the other hand, according to the People’s Postcode Lottery, boosting the limits placed on society lotteries would end up reducing administration costs apart from allowing each society lottery to raise more money for good causes. In addition, the legislative changes required by the Lottery would make the charity fund-raising model simpler.
Society Lotteries Limits’ Effects on Fund-Raising
The Managing Director of the People’s Postcode Lottery Jo Bucci shared that the legislative changes that the organisation called for was expected to raise more money for charity with no additional expenses either for the Government, or the taxpayers. Ms. Bucci reminded that a great number of charity organisations are currently being funded by society lotteries, hence much more money could be raised in case that the country’s Government brings in the required Gambling Act changes.
According to the Lottery’s Managing Director, the current piece of legislation was also having a negative impact on the overall amount of money that could be raised by the individual charity lotteries managed by the People’s Postcode Lottery. Ms. Bucci also shared that such a thing could have hardly been the intention of the local legislators at the time when the Gambling Act was drafted.
The People’s Postcode Lottery’ Managing Director explained that the restrictions imposed on the individual social lotteries would lead to massive losses over the upcoming two years, which on the other hand would influence on the charity organisations that are being supported by such lotteries.
