Ensuring a fair Lottery for the nation
£28 billion for good causes
£40 billion in prizes
Primary legislation
The National Lottery, along with its regulator, was established by the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. Initially, the regulator of the National Lottery was the Director General of the National Lottery. The Director General ran the Office of the National Lottery (OFLOT), the National Lottery Commission’s predecessor.
The National Lottery Act 1998 amended the 1993 Act. It established the National Lottery Commission as the new regulator of the Lottery. The Commission assumed all of the regulatory functions of the Director General and OFLOT in April 1999.
The 1998 Act also gives the Commission the power to impose financial penalties for breaches of licence conditions.
The Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 made provision for the National Lottery Commission to license Olympic Lottery games. It also established a fund to hold the proceeds generated by Olympic Lottery games and created a body to distribute the money held in this fund to meet expenditure in connection with staging the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The National Lottery Act 2006 made several changes to the provisions for the licensing and regulation of the Lottery. These include the provision for extending the Licence period (to a maximum of 15 years) and the appointment of a fixed-term Chair of the Commission. The Act also contains provisions relating to the distribution of Lottery funds.
These four Acts of Parliament are available to read on the Office of Public Sector Information’s (OPSI) website. Clicking on either of the two links below will take you to the relevant section on the OPSI website.
The National Lottery etc Act 1993
Related Links
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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.