Response to DCMS Consultation on the Regulatory Future of Remote Gambling

While the proposed changes to regulation would not directly affect the National Lottery, as it is based within the UK, we believe it does have the potential to increase protection for UK consumers and protect the future success of the National Lottery.

The Commission believes, that to best protect consumers and to be most fair and consistent, all operators who advertise or transact with British customers should be licensed in the UK. To maintain and keep their licence they should have to obey all UK gambling laws. This includes the rules set out in the 1993 Lottery Act that no one is allowed to offer side bets on the National Lottery and that they are not able to falsely represent that they are connected to the National Lottery.

The current regulatory system has allowed a number of foreign based websites to offer UK consumers the chance to bet on the outcome of the National Lottery. The rules on banning side bets on the Lottery were introduced to protect the long term future of the Lottery, returns to good causes and to keep a clear distinction between the Lottery and other forms of gambling. As UK consumers can now bet on the Lottery online with gambling operators this protection has been seriously weakened.

Our response to the consultation is available from the left hand side of this page.

Related downloads

• Consultation Response on Remote Gambling

  Commission’s response to DCMS consultation

  (pdf - 130kb)