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National Lottery Revenues

Request date: 6 September 2024

This version was printed or saved on: 9 May 2025

Online version: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/freedomofinformation/national-lottery-revenues

Request

  1. The total revenues of the National Lottery for the past five years.
  2. An overview of the distribution of these revenues, including the percentage allocated to prizes, charities, operational costs, and other expenses.
  3. Detailed information about the charities supported by the National Lottery, including the specific amounts each charity has received.
  4. The policy and criteria for the selection of charities supported by the National Lottery.
  5. Any evaluations or reports on the effectiveness of the charities supported by the National Lottery.

Response

Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

In your email you have requested:

  1. The total revenues of the National Lottery for the past five years.
  2. An overview of the distribution of these revenues, including the percentage allocated to prizes, charities, operational costs, and other expenses.
  3. Detailed information about the charities supported by the National Lottery, including the specific amounts each charity has received.
  4. The policy and criteria for the selection of charities supported by the National Lottery.
  5. Any evaluations or reports on the effectiveness of the charities supported by the National Lottery.

The Gambling Commission have interpreted this request as being focused on the last five full financial years.

In relation to part one and two of your request, section 21 of the FOIA provides that information is exempt where it is reasonably accessible elsewhere.

In order to be of assistance, please see the following:

Please note, the information provided in respect of the 2023/24 financial year extends to the 31 January 2024. Allwyn then became the new operator of the National Lottery on the 1 February 2024, at which point new reporting arrangements came into effect.

In relation to part three to five of your request, the Gambling Commission can confirm that we do not hold any information falling within scope of these parts of your request.

All income raised for Good Causes from ticket sales is paid by the Operator into the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) and then allocated to twelve distribution bodies according to a formula set by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Gambling Commission plays no role in the allocation of funding and therefore does not hold the requested information.

Review of the decision

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email. 

Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.

If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission. 

It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.

The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Information Management Team
Gambling Commission