Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguard the National Lottery.

Deeming it the “jewel in the crown of this country”, Rhodes reminded that the National Lottery has an ongoing obligation to serve players at the highest possible standard, and that the UKGC has full trust in Allwyn, the current operator, to retain this tradition.

Even more, the CEO added that player protection should never come as an afterthought for the Lottery, having to run through it as a “stick of rock” instead.

Rhodes did not just heap praise on the lottery, however. Despite recognising it as “one of the lowest risk products”, Rhodes added that risk always exists, and that the Lottery is taking every effort to counter it, including consulting those with lived experiences.

Participation runs high

Further solidifying its status as a crown jewel, the Gambling Survey for Great Britain estimates that the National Lottery is “clear out in front” in terms of participation rates for all products that the UKGC regulates.

Running through the exact data, Rhodes highlighted that out of a pool of 5,000 respondents surveyed between September 2024 and January 2025, 29% have said that they’ve bought a National Lottery draw ticket in the last four weeks.

This percentage stood at 11% for National Lottery scratchcards, and 6% for National Lottery win games. In comparison, combined betting participation for both sports and other events stood at 10% for the same period.

What’s more, combined industry gross gambling yield between April 2023 and March 2024 was £15.6bn. The National Lottery was responsible for £3.3bn of that total GGY.

Good causes funding flows in

Something impossible to ignore is also the amount of funding the National Lottery raises for good causes across the UK. For the last financial year, Rhodes said that these contributions amounted to more than £1.8bn. For this year’s first quarter alone, this sum has already reached £485m.

Good causes funding often goes to culture projects such as the ones commissioned by the Ulster Museum in Belfast. This doesn’t come as a surprise when you factor in that more than half (51%) of National Lottery players in Northern Ireland participate in a draw at least once a week.

Changing with the times

Speaking of draws, the Lottery has come a long way since its first inception in 1994 when it was a weekly single draw game. In the span of 30 years, the National Lottery has significantly expanded, adding scratchcards, more draws and more games to its lineup.

Rhodes added that the Lottery is “very different even at its core”, with such significant changes also bringing high levels of pressure with them.

“If change is careless, it increases risks and can impact the relationship with players,” the UKGC CEO added, “meaning that the National Lottery is only ever one slip away from headlines.”

Concluding his speech, Rhodes reminded that due to the National Lottery being considered as a “national institution”, there will always be more scrutiny added to it.

However, thanks to its life-changing prizes and commitment to raising money for good causes and protecting customers, it has led to a model that “others are keen to replicate”.

“If it is to continue to succeed, it will need to change again over the coming years. Allwyn is committed to investing in that future, and participant protection must remain at the heart of it.”