Our Role

The National Lottery Commission regulates the Lottery to ensure that:

• players are treated fairly;
• the nation’s interest in the Lottery is protected; and
• the operator is motivated to maximise the enjoyment and benefits that the Lottery brings to the Nation.

Our statutory duties are to:

• ensure that the National Lottery, and every lottery that forms a part of it, is run with all due propriety;
• ensure that the interests of every participant in the Lottery are protected; and
• subject to these two duties, to do our best in making sure that the proceeds of the National Lottery are as great as possible.

The Lottery is operated by Camelot Group plc under a licence awarded to them by the Commission which started on 1 February 2009. The previous licence, also awarded to Camelot, began in January 2002 and expired on 31 January 2009.

We ensure that all aspects of the Lottery, from the televised draws to the way players are paid their prize money, are conducted properly and in accordance with the licence. 

We protect players by:

• ensuring that clear information is provided to them;
• ensuring that there are controls in place to protect against excessive and underage play: and
• setting rules and procedures for each game. 

If a player is unhappy about the service they have received from Camelot, we handle the complaints.

We work to secure the greatest possible returns to good causes by: aligning the interests of good causes to those of the operator through the licence; monitoring the performance of the operator; and ensuring that the allocated funds go to the right place (the National Lottery Distribution Fund and the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund), at the right time, and in the right amounts.

Related Links

• UK Lottery Model

  The UK Lottery Model comprises four main parties that work together to deliver the National Lottery and all its activities.