How we regulate

The National Lottery Commission carries out a range of regulatory activities. Some of the most important things that we do are:

• Protecting Players

  Protecting players is central to all that we do. Here are some of the important things we do to protect players .

• Licensing National Lottery Games

  We grant a single licence to operate the National Lottery. This is known as a section 6 licence because it is granted under section 5 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended).

  The current operator is Camelot Group plc and we awarded a ten year licence to them which begins on 1 February 2009.

• Safeguarding the integrity of Lottery games

  We oversee the procedures used by Camelot to ensure that the integrity of National Lottery games is maintained. We also commission and publish independent research to confirm that there is no evidence of non-randomness in the results of Lottery games.

• Ensuring Scratchcard security

  We ensure that Camelot has rigorous security arrangements in place for the printing, storage and distribution of National Lottery Scratchcards. We also check that they make sure that their Scratchcard suppliers have appropriate security arrangements in place.

• Independent verification of systems

  We monitor the reliability, security and efficiency of the National Lottery’s central computer systems and network of terminals.

• Overseeing the transfer of funds

  We oversee the transfer of funds to good causes and to prize winners.

• Vetting of the operator and its suppliers

  We undertake checks on individuals whose conduct could impact on the running or reputation of the National Lottery. Similarly, we also undertake checks on companies if their conduct could affect the National Lottery. We call these checks ‘fit and proper vetting’.

• Licence breaches

  If the operator fails to comply with its Licence obligations, then we will record a Licence breach. Licence breaches are listed on our website, and are also reported in our Annual Report.

• Protecting the National Lottery brand

  The National Lottery brand (which comprises the crossed fingers and game logos) is one of the most recognised brands in the UK. The National Lottery Commission owns the trademarks in the logos and licenses them to Camelot Group plc, the Lottery operator.

Related Links

• Licence to operate the Lottery (Section 5 licence)

  The section 5 licence is the operating licence that is granted by the National Lottery Commission to the operator under section 5 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.

• Licensing games

  To make sure the Lottery is being run in the public interest we have to approve any new game, or change to an existing game before they go on sale.