National Lottery Commission

The National Lottery Commission was an organisation set up on 1 April 1999 under the National Lottery Act 1998 to regulate the National Lottery. It replaced the Director General and the Office of the National Lottery (OFLOT). Previously an independent non-departmental public body, it became part of the Gambling Commission on 1 October 2013, which subsequently assumed its responsibilities.

The Commission was sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and its costs were reimbursed from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) and Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF). The Commission operated at arm’s length from government, and its decisions were independent.

The Commission’s duties were to ensure that players are treated fairly; the nation’s interest in the Lottery is protected; and the operator is motivated to maximise the enjoyment and benefits that the Lottery brings to the Nation. It also ran the competition to select the commercial operator of the Lottery, currently Camelot Group plc.

The Commissioners, of which there were seven, were appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Commissioners met each month to discuss business and make decisions about developments affecting the Lottery. They also appointed the full-time Chief Executive.

The Commission was a small organisation of fewer than 50 people. The majority of staff were based in the central London with some based at the operator’s Headquarters in Watford. There were two divisions within the organisation: The Corporate Group, which was led by the Chief Executive and the Regulatory Operations Group, led by the Deputy Chief Executive.

The Commission protected National Lottery players by ensuring that clear information was provided to them; and by setting rules and procedures for each game. If a player was unhappy about any aspect of the National Lottery, they should have raised this with Camelot in the first instance. The Commission then reviewed cases where players were not satisfied by Camelot Group’s response.