Summer Deadline Set for Government Decision on Charities Lottery Cap

The government is gearing up to share important updates with Members of Parliament by this summer regarding the cap on sales limits for charity lotteries. Charities minister Stephanie Peacock made it clear during a recent House of Commons debate that a decision on removing the cap will be made before the summer break.

The government’s verdict will be informed by independent research commissioned to study the lotteries market, expected to be in the ministers’ hands by the end of this month. According to Peacock, government support for society lotteries is solid and unwavering because these lotteries play a crucial role in providing essential funding for countless charities, community groups, and sports clubs, including those in her very own Barnsley South constituency like DIAL and Magic Breakfast.

Peacock also emphasized the need to ensure that increased lottery sales translate to increased investment in good causes. She mentioned that the majority of society lotteries currently operate comfortably within the existing limits. The cap for charity lottery sales was upped to £50m annually during the previous Conservative government’s term, allowing umbrella lottery organizations like the People’s Postcode Lottery to hold multiple licences and sell up to £1bn worth of tickets each year.

The private members bill to remove the cap, introduced by Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain and supported by over 100 charities, saw a second reading debate where Chamberlain expressed her satisfaction with the government’s commitment to making a decision on this issue by summer. She pointed out the potential benefits this change could bring to charities in constituencies across the country, including her area in North East Fife.

While discussion on Chamberlain’s bill was adjourned and will resume later, People’s Postcode Lottery managing director Clara Govier applauded Peacock’s announcement and urged the government to address the negative impact of the current sales limits on charity lotteries as soon as possible.