The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery established in 1994 in the United Kingdom. It is regulated by the Gambling Commission, and is currently operated by Allwyn Entertainment, who took over from Camelot Group (who had been running the National Lottery since its inception) on 1 February 2024.
Prizes are paid as a lump sum (with the exception of the Set For Life which is paid over a set period) and are tax-free. Of all money spent on National Lottery games, around 53% goes to the prize fund and 25% to “good causes” as set out by Parliament (though some of this is considered by some to be a form of “stealth tax“ levied to support the National Lottery Community Fund, a fund constituted to support public spending). 12% goes to the UK Government as lottery duty, 4% to retailers as commission, and a total of 5% to the operator, with 4% to cover operating costs and 1% as profit.
Since 22 April 2021, players must be 18 years of age to purchase lottery tickets and scratchcards (online and in-store).[6] Previously, the minimum age was 16.
In early 2024, Allwyn took over all operations of the National Lottery, replacing the Camelot Group.
