The UKs National Lottery

Published on: 03/09/2013

The UK’s National lottery seems to have permeated into the very national consciousness. Indeed, so embedded is it in British social, and even cultural life, that many would likely be surprised to learn that it is a relatively modern phenomenon. First inaugurated in late 1994, the lottery has gone from strength to strength ever since its inception.

Few people know just how much revenue the lottery raises for charitable good causes. From every £1 bet, 50 pence goes towards prizes, while 28 pence goes straight back into the country. This can be into education, the arts, healthcare, and a host of other philanthropic causes.

It is estimated that as much as 70% of the UK’s population regularly play the lottery – a truly amazing figure. Even those that have never played it are well aware of it’s presence, with a recent survey reporting that 95% of the population recognize the iconic crossed finger logo.

The policy of the national lottery – its financial structuring and general institutional framework – is managed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This department also liaises with the distributing agencies for the lottery grants. The Lottery Commission is involved with the licensing and regulation of the lottery.

There have been three occasions on which the National Lotteries Operating rights have been up for grabs. Despite fierce competition Camelot UK Lotteries Limited has always emerged as the prime choice. Today the UK National Lottery and Camelot seem synonymous – to halves of the same coin (or perhaps poker chip) in the mind of the British public. The latest contract awarded to Camelot has been a decade long one. This was decided in 2007, and the contract became effective in 2009.

Camelot is not content with the lottery being the sole game under the auspicious National Lottery banner. Other notables are Euromillions, Lotto, and Thunderball. Once again all these games are well known and loved by the British public. Online games and scratch cards are also available, for those whose tastes differ from the normal fare. Wherever you are in the UK, with 28,000 National Lottery retailers scattered throughout the country, it is likely there is a vendor nearby selling a Camelot product. If not, you can always sate your lottery thirst by playing online at national-lottery.co.uk.

Such is the popularity of the National lottery that you can even purchase and register your tickets at supermarket checkouts! This really is an astounding feat of commercial success – gambling has been taken out of the cloying confines of the betting shop, and has found its way into the acceptable, nutritional environment of the supermarket! Along with these “Fastplay” outlets as they are known, players can also register via text, and get live lottery results by downloading the free Application for their smart phone.

Since it has been active in 1994, the National lottery has presented more than £34 billion in cash prizes. It has lifted more than 2000 people from the doldrums of their average existence, and made them millionaires! It can proudly claim to return to society a larger proportion of its revenue than any other Lottery operator. Camelot works closely with GamCare, the Country’s primary institution for studying the social and personal impact of gambling; indeed, they are strongly affiliated with the centre, proving they take their responsibilities seriously.

The draw days for the Lottery are Wednesdays and Saturdays - with just six correctly chosen numbers you can win up to £2.2 million! So what are you waiting for? Why not join in the fun today, and see if your dreams can come true tomorrow?

Published on: 03/09/2013 © Bet Bind