Regulator of the National Lottery | Protecting Players’ Rights

The Licence requires the Operator to protect the consumer rights of players in many ways:

It must be clear to the public how to play National Lottery games

It must be clear to the player when they have won a prize

All prizes must be paid out promptly

Winners' details are kept strictly confidential

Winners are correctly identified

All complaints must be resolved quickly

Further requirements are contained within the Participants Code of Practice, Sales Code of Practice, and Advertising and Promotion Code of Practice – and concern both the Operator and retailers. Each Code is reviewed annually to ensure it keeps up to date with new learnings, best practice, and any changes to relevant laws.

Information on how to claim a prize and how to make a complaint can be found in Advice and Information.

The Regulator holds the Operator to account in this area by:

Rigorously assessing game rules and play instructions prior to game approval and being vigilant regarding players’ rights.
Checking whether a new game is experiencing an unusually high level of unclaimed prizes.
Having oversight of the speed with which individual prizes are paid by the Operator in each month and by checking to ensure that they meet the required standards.
Conducting proactive compliance reviews of the controls the Operator has in place to prevent fraud.
Proactively monitoring large prizes won that have yet to be claimed and checking that the Operator undertakes appropriate publicity efforts to find the winner.
Having oversight of any complaints received by the Operator and checking that complaints are being addressed without delay, as well as assessing whether they may reflect a more serious or systemic issue.
Engaging expert external consultants to conduct proactive review aspects of the operation of the National Lottery e.g. cyber-security preparedness.