Gambling Commission Wants Allwyn to Lead Lottery Player Protection

The Gambling Commission’s Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner has called upon UK National Lottery license holder Allwyn UK to work with the regulator and ensure greater player protection.

Speaking at the Allwyn Participation Protection Conference, Gardner referenced how the National Lottery was the most common gambling activity among participants in the latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain, with 31% of participants stating they had played it in the previous four weeks.

While the National Lottery is seen as a low-risk gambling product, Gardner reminded the audience that risks within the games still exist. Gardner said:

“When it comes to participant protection we all want progress too. All of us being here today is strong evidence that progress has been made. But of course, there is always more to do.”

Retail work

Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery license in February 2024, replacing Camelot, which had held the license since the National Lottery’s inception in 1994. Since then, Allwyn has committed to working with retailers to strengthen support for players at risk of harm in retail.

Gardner said:

“But why do all these efforts to strengthen participant protection matter when the National Lottery is so low risk? Well for a start, whilst at the Commission we know the risk of harms can never be fully removed, where more can be done and measures looked at, this is something we will always support.

“We expect Allwyn and the National Lottery to be at the forefront in terms of determining and demonstrating best practice when it comes to protecting players – and indeed that is a key tenet within the fourth license regulatory framework.”

Sales dropping

While Allwyn is expected to lead the way regarding player protection, it will also be prioritising stronger sales of lottery tickets. In 2025, the first full year in which Allwyn held the license, ticket sales totalled £8.1 billion, up 3.5% from 2024.

However, sales have dropped in 2026, with Allwyn’s UK revenue falling 16% to €914 million (£775.9 million) in the second quarter.

In the last 12 months, the National Lottery has raised £1.7 billion for good causes, although the numbers have been dipping in recent times. In the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, the total generated for good causes was £377.2 million, down 22% year-on-year and the lowest the number had been in eight years. The total was also down by £69.5 million from the previous quarter.

Good causes amendment

When Allwyn took over the National Lottery license, it pledged to deliver £38 billion for good causes in total across the course of its 10-year license.

For this target to be hit, Allwyn would have to be generating £3.8 billion a year for good causes; significantly more than the £1.7 billion generated in the last 12 months. The target has since been amended to approximately £3.2 billion per year, or £60 million per week.

In July, the UK was added as the 49th jurisdiction to participate in the US Powerball game, marking the first time a jurisdiction outside the US has been able to take part. The combined US and UK lotteries pool funds only for the Powerball jackpot, and not for lower-tier prizes.

Meanwhile, Allwyn UK announced in January it would be carrying out a major upgrade to the National Lottery’s digital platforms, with the update allowing Allwyn to offer the largest ever range of National Lottery games.