UK Gambling Commission launches fourth National Lottery licence competition

Since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £41 billion for 565,000 good causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.

The next licence seeks to build on that success by creating a framework that maximises the opportunities for players and good causes to benefit from innovation and creativity, whilst protecting the National Lottery’s unique status.   

Key changes for the fourth licence include:

• A fixed 10-year licence: A fixed term means that the licensee has a clear period for investment planning.
• Focusing on performance: Building on the National Lottery’s success to-date, the new licence will provide greater flexibility to maximise returns to good causes, hand in hand with ensuring safe and fair play.
• Incentive mechanism: A new incentive mechanism will ensure the licensee’s incentives and delivery are closely aligned with returns to good causes.
• Protecting the brand: The licensee will be required to foster stronger relationships with the distributors of National Lottery funding to further strengthen the link between the National Lottery brand, its players, and good causes.

In 2018, the Commission began an extensive programme of global market engagement to hear from businesses and investors interested in the future of the National Lottery.

Now, interested parties are being invited to take part in the first formal stage of the competition. Applicants that pass through this stage will receive the Invitation to Apply (ITA) and supporting documents in order to begin preparing their application.

The preferred applicant will be announced September 2021.

Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission Chief Executive, said: “Today, the competition for the fourth National Lottery licence begins. Over the last quarter of a century, it has made an unprecedented contribution to communities across the UK and has made a difference to the lives of millions.”

“For the fourth licence, we will be evolving our approach to regulation to build on the National Lottery’s huge successes. In line with our outcomes-focussed approach to regulation, we want the next licensee to have greater autonomy to meet the needs of players in 2023 and beyond, whilst ensuring there is clear accountability for the performance of the National Lottery,” McArthur added.

Minister for Sports, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said: "The National Lottery has a positive impact on communities right across the UK, supporting thousands of good causes as well as the sectors that brighten up our lives including the arts, culture, heritage and sport. The fourth licence competition will secure the National Lottery's future combining safe play with life-changing prizes. Most importantly it will help raise billions more pounds to benefit people's lives in villages, towns and cities throughout the country."

Source:GMB