Gambling Commission Director Outlines Society Lottery Enforcement Plans

The Gambling Commission has revealed society lotteries generated over £1 billion in gross gambling yield for the second consecutive year, whilst announcing significant enforcement expansion against illegal gambling operations targeting the sector.

Speaking at the Lotteries Council Annual Conference on 21 May 2026, Director of Policy Ian Angus outlined how society lotteries achieved £1.08 billion in GGY during 2024/25 – representing 4.7% growth year-on-year and resulting in £484.6 million raised for charitable causes.

The regulatory update comes as the Commission prepares to deploy £26 million in new Treasury funding specifically targeting illegal gambling enforcement, with society lotteries identified as a key protected sector.

Sector Performance Reaches New Heights

Official statistics from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain show 17% of the adult population – approximately 9 million people – participated in society lotteries between July and October 2025, making it the second most popular gambling form after the National Lottery.

Society lottery participation captured 17% of the adult population (as stated in the previous paragraph), significantly ahead of betting at 10%. The sector demonstrated continued digitalisation, with remote channels generating £793.3 million in GGY compared to £314.9 million from non-remote operations during 2024/25.

"Society Lotteries play a vital role in our communities, raising important money for those charities and causes that otherwise may miss out. But lotteries are of course in law a gambling product and one that requires appropriate regulation to keep it safe, fair and crime free."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

The performance contributed to overall gambling sector GGY reaching £16.8 billion for April 2024 to March 2025, with quarterly data showing £4.3 billion generated between July and September alone. Of this quarterly total, society lotteries contributed over £200 million.

Enhanced Enforcement Against Illegal Operations

The Commission's 2026/27 business plan prioritises illegal gambling enforcement, building on significant disruption achievements. During 2025, the regulator secured removal of 356 illegal lotteries from social media platforms – nearly doubling 2024's 190 removals. An additional 79 illegal operations have been disrupted in 2026.

Broader enforcement statistics for the previous financial year revealed:

• 741 Cease and Desist notices issued to advertisers and operators
• 397,527 URLs reported to search engines
• 266,667 URLs successfully removed
• 1,068 websites referred for delisting
• 1,134 websites disrupted through takedowns or geo-blocking

"In 2025 alone we got 356 illegal lotteries taken down by social media companies. That was almost double 2024, where we got 190 taken down. This year another 79 have been taken down already as well."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

The new £26 million Treasury funding over three years will enable automation, scaling, and strategic development of anti-illegal gambling operations. Plans include publishing impact metrics, creating Britain's first national illegal gambling risk assessment through the Government's Illegal Gambling Taskforce, and expanding partnership working with law enforcement.

Regulatory Framework Developments

The Commission introduced its new Licence Support service in 2026 following successful piloting in 2024. The service provides operators with single-point contact for operational queries, faster turnaround times, and improved compliance guidance access.

Angus emphasised the regulator's commitment to "compliance at the earliest opportunity" through proactive engagement rather than purely punitive measures. The approach aims to protect both players and the charitable organisations benefiting from lottery proceeds.

Consumer protection remains central to regulatory oversight, with 2.7% of the adult population scoring 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index – indicating potential gambling with negative consequences. While society lotteries are classified as lower-risk products, operators must maintain robust player protection measures.

Market Structure and Digital Migration

Remote gambling dominance characterises the current market structure, with online and telephone channels generating £793.3 million compared to £314.9 million from traditional non-remote operations. This digital shift mirrors broader gambling sector trends and wider economic digitalisation patterns.

The Commission's data analytics enhancement forms part of its current Corporate Strategy final year implementation. Evidence-based requirement setting and proactive issue addressing remain core operational focuses alongside National Lottery regulation responsibilities.

Prize distribution reached £316 million during 2024/25, demonstrating the sector's dual function as both charitable fundraising mechanism and consumer entertainment product.

Prize Competitions Boundary Enforcement

Free draws and prize competitions continue generating operator queries despite falling outside Commission regulation. The regulator maintains strict boundary policing between these products and illegal lotteries, encouraging intelligence reporting from licensed operators.

"Free draws and prize competitions are not regulated by the Commission. But connected to our work on illegal gambling, we do police the boundary between these products and illegal lotteries very closely."

— Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission

The Government's new voluntary code for prize draws, implemented on 20 May 2026, provides additional framework for organisations conducting promotional activities that may approach lottery characteristics.

Collaborative Enforcement Approach

The Commission's strategy emphasises partnership working with licensed operators in identifying and reporting illegal gambling activities. Intelligence sharing from society lottery operators contributes significantly to enforcement effectiveness, with "upstream disruptions" preventing illegal operations from establishing market presence.

Conference attendees received updates on anti-money laundering risk assessment development, marketing compliance requirements including mandatory signposting to support services, and current rule interpretations through workshops led by Commission specialists.

Strategic Outlook and Industry Implications

The substantial growth in society lottery participation and yield demonstrates sector resilience despite broader economic pressures. However, the parallel expansion of illegal gambling threats requires continued vigilance from both regulators and licensed operators.

The Commission's enhanced enforcement capabilities, supported by significant Treasury investment, signal governmental recognition of illegal gambling's threat to legitimate operators and charitable beneficiaries. Society lotteries, generating substantial community funding while maintaining relatively low harm profiles, represent a priority protection area.

For operators, the emphasis on early compliance engagement offers opportunity for proactive regulatory relationships rather than reactive enforcement encounters. The new Licence Support service provides additional resource for navigating complex regulatory requirements whilst maintaining focus on charitable objectives.

The digitalisation trend reshaping market dynamics requires operators to balance technological adoption with robust consumer protection measures. Remote channel dominance creates both opportunity for expanded reach and responsibility for enhanced digital safeguarding.

According to UK Gambling Commission.