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Written question asked by Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 12 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 March 2026 (named day). It was answered by Ian Murray (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

National Lottery: Licensing

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.

Answer

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.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
120545
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Licensing National Lottery Sales Tickets
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk