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National Lottery: Licensing

Asked by Vikki SladeLiberal DemocratDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 18 March 2026UIN 120545

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it a requirement of the National Lottery licence that there be (a) transparent and (b) open communication of the odds of winning the National Lottery when purchasing a ticket.

Answered by Ian Murray

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission, which is responsible for awarding the operating licence, managing licence conditions, enforcing compliance, and licensing individual games.

The National Lottery licence requires that full, accurate and up‑to‑date information about National Lottery games is easily accessible to all participants in a range of formats. The Regulatory Handbook, which provides further detail on complying with licence requirements, adds that this should include clear information on prize levels and the likelihood of winning, and that the operator’s approach should reflect industry Best Practice.

In practice, this is delivered through printed Player’s Guides in retail locations, and Online Game Procedures on the National Lottery website. These resources set out how each game works, the prizes available and the odds of winning.

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