Health Lottery CEO: Percentage that lotteries must give to charity should be lowered

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Health Lottery CEO: Percentage that lotteries must give to charity should be lowered2

Fundraising | Kirsty Weakley | 23 Jan 2013

The chief executive of the Health Lottery, Dominic Mansour, has said the government should lower the percentage that lotteries have to give to charity to make it easier for them to grow and raise more money by selling more tickets.

At the end of 2012 the government announced that it would launch a consultation in the New Year on the amount that society lotteries give to charity. The Department of Media Culture and Sport has not yet launched the consultation, but in December it said that it would look at whether a change to the minimum level, (currently 20 per cent) that society lotteries have to give to good causes would form part of the consultation.

Mansour told civilsociety.co.uk that “if the 20 per cent figure was reduced to 15 per cent [then the organisation could] invest in growing ticket sales” and that would result in more money overall being raised for charities.

Yesterday civilsociety.co.uk revealed that Camelot is to reduce the percentage per ticket from its Lotto draw going to good causes, while doubling the price for the consumer. While changing the proportion from 33 per cent to just over 31 per cent, it expected that the price increase and a projected increase in ticket sales would increase the overall amount going to good causes.

The Health Lottery, which is a coalition of 51 society lotteries benefitting health causes in the UK, gives 20p in every £1 ticket to good causes.

Clive Mollett chairman of the Lotteries Council voiced concerns about the possibility of the proportion society lotteries have to give to good causes being increased. He said: “If that figure (20 per cent) goes up that will cause difficulty for many… it is already hard to start or expand a lottery – any move to increase the percentage will see some lotteries become unviable.”

Directory: Health Lottery

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Garry Wilkinson
Director of Fundraising & Marketing
Kirkwood Hospice
24 Jan 2013

Very laudable of Mr Mansour to want to raise more for charities and I am sure it is just a happy co-incidence that lowering the rate would make for profit for his multi-millionaire boss and his publishing empire!

Why not raise the rate to 30%. This is not unreasonable and I am sure all society lotteries (of which the Health Lottery is allegedly one) who truly exist for their beneficiary charities would be able to donate more.

Alternatively, of course, people can support their own society lotteries and ignore the likes of the Health Lottery which has cleverly managed to exploit a loophole in the law, but actually exists to make profit, not to donate! The added benefit is that many society lotteries and local hospice lotteries, like ours at Kirkwood donate over 60% (representing ALL of their profit) to the Hospice. We exist solely to benefit patient care - quite simply, the Health Lottery does not!

[Reply]

James Moore
Hydroponic Grower
Self Employed
24 Jan 2013

I don't agree with Mr Dominic Mansour. Lottery percentage is just fine and regarding their growth; it will eventually come from the fund raised beneficial in the form of their blessings. :)

[Reply]

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