Cookies on the Gambling Commission website

The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Some of these cookies are essential to how the site functions and others are optional. Optional cookies help us remember your settings, measure your use of the site and personalise how we communicate with you. Any data collected is anonymised and we do not set optional cookies unless you consent.

Set cookie preferences

You've accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Licensees and businesses
  3. Licences and fees

Promoting a lottery

Lotteries in Great Britain can only be promoted by charities, other good causes and local authorities. They cannot be promoted for private or commercial gain.

Each society or local authority lottery must return a minimum of 20% of the proceeds to the purposes of the society or local authority (the good cause). They must also provide consumers with information about the proportion of lottery proceeds (ticket sales) returned to good causes or for local authority expenditure, in a calendar year.

Read our guidance for Promoting society and local authority lotteries.

Promoting multiple society lotteries

Our advice on promoting multiple society lotteries provides advice about some of the factors we are likely to take into account when making decisions about whether the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005 are satisfied in a particular lottery scheme. It contains advice supplementary to the requirements of the Act, relevant regulations and the Licence conditions and codes of practice. It also provides more information on what constitutes a branded lottery scheme, and what operators are required to do when promoting lotteries through such schemes.

Promoting individual society lotteries

Society lotteries and external lottery managers (ELMs) that wish to promote individual society lotteries under one umbrella brand must ensure those lotteries are not combined to form one single lottery, which could be a breach of the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005 and relevant regulations.

They must also ensure that consumers are provided with sufficient information for them to make an informed choice as to whether they wish to support that good cause or not. It must be clear to consumers that although there is a common brand, they are participating in individual society lotteries; and which lottery they are participating in. There should therefore be information about the promoting society available in any marketing or advertising material.

Offering lottery, gaming and betting products under common branding provides advice to lottery promoters and others about the principles we use in licensing and regulating those who wish to combine the promotion of lotteries with provision of facilities for other types of gambling.

Promoting your lottery in countries outside of Great Britain

The Gambling Act 2005 neither permits nor prohibits a lottery lawfully promoted in Great Britain from being promoted in another country. Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales.

Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have their own gambling laws.

If you promote a lottery in Great Britain and would like to promote it in another country, including sending tickets, application forms or any other information about the lottery (by a website or by email, post, telephone or other means) you should contact the relevant authorities in that country first to see what is allowed and if there are any special requirements.

Last updated: 7 June 2021

Show updates to this content

No changes to show.

Is this page useful?
Back to top