When you are in London you could play the nationale lotteries of the UK. The UK National Lottery is the main lottery operator in the country and is regulated by the Gambling Commission in 2024. It includes games such as Lotto, EuroMillions and Thunderball. The National Lottery raises a lot of money for various charities and projects.
Online Lotteries
Numerous online lottery services allow UK residents to participate in various international lotteries.
National Lottery Community Fund
- Types of Grants: The grants vary widely in size, from small sums to help neighborhood projects to multi-million pound investments aimed at transforming communities. The fund primarily supports charities, local authorities, and social enterprises.
- Themes: Funding is often based on thematic priorities such as reducing social isolation, combating mental health stigma, or fostering community cohesion.
- Case Study: For example, the “Our Bright Future” project, funded by a £33 million grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, aims to engage young people in environmental activities.
Heritage Fund
- Local Economy: Heritage projects often lead to job creation and stimulate local economies by attracting tourism.
- Case Study: One notable project is the renovation of Wentworth Woodhouse, a historic mansion in Yorkshire, which not only preserved the heritage site but also provided employment and educational opportunities in the community.
Arts Council England
- Democratizing Art: Grants often aim to make the arts accessible to people who might otherwise find it difficult to engage with them due to socioeconomic factors.
- Case Study: A project called “Creative People and Places” aims to focus on areas where involvement in arts is significantly below the national average. The project funds local art organizations to bring art to these communities.
Sport England
- Inclusion: Projects often focus on inclusive activities that enable people of all abilities to take part in physical exercise.
- Case Study: The “This Girl Can” campaign aims to overcome the barriers that prevent women from participating in sports, encouraging wider female involvement in physical activities.
The UK National Lottery, in particular, has donated billions to good causes in sectors like arts, sports, and heritage. About 28% of the total ticket sales contribute to these charitable causes. Lotteries in the UK are regulated by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act of 2005. There are stringent measures to ensure fair play, and players must be at least 16 years old for the National Lottery and 18 for other gambling activities.
Taxes in United Kingdom
One of the most attractive aspects of UK lotteries is that winnings are generally tax-free, although the interest generated from the winnings is taxable.
Data & history UK lotto
Most popular lottery games in UK
UK Lotto
UK Lotto draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday nights, offering jackpots worth millions of pounds. Results will appear here shortly after the draw, followed by prize details shortly thereafter.
UK Lotto is the longest running lottery game in the country and is still enjoyed by millions of players every week. Draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday nights and offer huge prizes as well as five other ways to win, including a second prize of £1 million. Learn all about the game here.
How to Play and Win UK Lotto? Your UK lottery requires you to pick 6 numbers out of 59 numbers. You can choose your own numbers, or lucky draw if you want numbers randomly generated for you. Each race costs £2 and you can enter online or at an authorized retailer.
Thunderball
To win the Thunderball jackpot, all numbers you pick must match the winning numbers. You can also win prizes by matching fewer numbers, as long as you guess the thunderball correctly, you are guaranteed to win the prize. All payouts are guaranteed a fixed amount regardless of how many other players in the same level win. Visit the Prizes and Odds page to find out more about the nine different ways to win.
When is “Thunderbolt” broadcast? Thunderball draws take place four times a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8:15pm. It’s the most played game in the National Lottery, with £500,000 in prizes in every draw, giving you a total of £2 million in jackpots every week.
Euromillions UK millionaire maker
EuroMillions is the National Lottery’s biggest jackpot game. Tickets are sold in a total of nine countries, with top prizes starting at €17m (£14m) and increasing rapidly between draws if no prize is won. The EuroMillions jackpot even increased to over £180 million. EuroMillions was launched in the UK in 2004, and a lot has happened since then.
The draws take place every Tuesday and Friday evening in Paris. For more information on EuroMillions, please select one of the links below. Additional UK Millionaire Maker draws guarantee at least one ticket holder to win £1 million in the fortnightly EuroMillions draw.
Other license lotteries in England
UK national lottery
Established in 1994, the UK National Lottery is one of the biggest lotteries in the country. It is operated by Camelot Group and is regulated by the National Lottery Commission. The most popular game under this banner is the Lotto, where players choose six numbers from 1 to 59. Draws take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Health Lottery
Launched in 2011, the Health Lottery aims to raise funds for various health-related charitable causes across the UK. The game mechanics are similar to other lotteries but it has a smaller top prize and lower ticket cost.
Postcode Lottery
This lottery is unique because it uses the postcodes of registered participants as lottery numbers. A portion of the ticket sales goes to various charities.
Gambling Commission
The UK has a well-established regulatory and organizational system to monitor and manage lotteries and other gambling activities.
The Gambling Commission is the main regulator of all gambling activity in the UK, including lotteries. It is an independent public body established under the Gambling Act 2005. The commission’s responsibilities include licensing and regulating gambling operators, ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers. They set the rules and standards for the operation of lotteries large and small. The main organizations and agencies responsible for regulating lotteries in the UK include:
Local authorities
For small UK lotteries, local authorities are responsible for issuing licenses and overseeing their operations. Small company lotteries are usually run by non-profit organizations and must be registered with and approved by the local government to operate legally.
Charity Commission
Where the lottery is run by a charity, the Charity Commission for England and Wales or the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR) may also play a role in monitoring and ensuring compliance with charity law.
ASA regulates advertisements
The ASA regulates advertisements for lotteries and gambling services in the UK. It ensures that ads are not misleading and comply with advertising guidelines.
Fundraising Association
This is the UK’s professional fundraising organisation. It provides guidelines and best practices for charities and nonprofits operating lotteries and other fundraising events.
