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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

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Society lotteries celebrate £255m for good causes

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Last year proved the best ever for the UK's society lotteries, but Lotteries Council chair Jo Bucci says they could raise much more

Society lotteries raised a record £255 million for good causes last year.

There are now 491 society lotteries operating in the UK, many run by charities but also including big names like the People’s Postcode Lottery and the Health Lottery.

A new figures from the Gambling Commission has also revealed the percentage of income from society lotteries also rose to 43.6% from 43% in 2016/17.

Welcoming the figures Jo Bucci, chair of the UK Lotteries Council, said simple changes to the law governing society lotteries would help Lotteries Council members raise even more for good causes over the years ahead.

She said: “These new statistics highlight a fantastic year of fundraising by the country’s society lotteries. We are delighted that society lotteries are raising even more for charities large and small.

“A £43.4 million increase over the year reflects lots of hard work by our member organisations, but our main thanks goes to the players of society lotteries who are making an increasingly valuable contribution.”

Support from the players of society lotteries fund a wide range of causes including hospices, air ambulances, sports clubs, health charities, animal welfare and support for the elderly.

Bucci, who is also managing director of the People’s Postcode Lottery, has campaigned for greater freedoms for society lotteries to compete with the National Lottery.

She added: “We hope to raise even more this year, however more and more of the lotteries we represent are seeing their fundraising capped by the sales limits in gambling law.

“These limits are increasingly out of date and The Lotteries Council urges the UK government to bring forward plans to raise the limits and help us contribute even more to good causes.”