About the National Lottery Commission

The National Lottery Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating the National Lottery.

We protect the integrity of the Lottery; protect players; and maximise funds to good causes. We also run the competition for the licence and select the operator of the Lottery.

The National Lottery Commission is a Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

We operate at arm’s length from government and our decisions are independent.

Our work is funded by the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).

Our seven Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and meet each month to make decisions about new Lottery licences and other developments affecting the Lottery. They also appoint our full-time Chief Executive.

The Commission has the following powers:

• We run the competition process to select the operator of the Lottery.
• We make sure that the operator meets the conditions of the licence. We can take legal action if necessary.
• If the operator breaks the conditions of the licence, we can impose a financial penalty.
• Ultimately we could withdraw a licence, but that would only happen under extreme circumstances.

Related Links

Annual Reports

The Commission's Annual Reports from 2000/2001 onwards are available to download.

Related downloads

Ensuring a fair Lottery for the Nation

Download our introductory leaflet to get a better understanding of who we are and what we do. (PDF, 177KB)