British Gambling Commission Makes Key Exemptions for Society Lotteries in Ongoing Regulatory Reforms
In a recent address at the Lotteries Council Annual Conference, Sarah Gardner, Deputy Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, confirmed that society lotteries in Great Britain will be excluded from several new regulatory requirements introduced as part of the Gambling Act Review.
Exemptions from Financial Limits
One of the central updates Gardner discussed was the new rules under Remote Technical Standard 12 (RTS12). These rules require gambling operators to offer deposit limits and similar tools to help customers manage their spending. Gardner explained:
“Society lotteries provision which is currently considered to be exempt from RTS12 will continue to be so, captured in this context under the description ‘subscription lotteries’.”
This means society lotteries using a traditional subscription model don’t need to apply the new financial limit tools. Only operators running high-frequency or instant-win lotteries must comply. The deadline for compliance is October 2025.
Marketing Rules Adjusted Based on Industry Feedback
Earlier this year, the Commission planned to include lotteries in new restrictions on direct marketing and cross-selling. After reviewing consultation responses, it decided to exclude the sector. Gardner noted:
“Thanks to the significant and well-evidenced responses we had from people in this room amongst others, we took the decision not to include land-based gambling and the lottery sectors in scope of this requirement.”
She described this decision as an example of how “positive engagement leads to positive decisions” and emphasized the benefits of collaborative regulation.
Compliance Through Collaboration
Throughout her speech, Gardner highlighted the Commission’s goal of working with operators early to support compliance. She made it clear:
“At the Gambling Commission we want a collaborative relationship with those we regulate, based on supporting compliance at the earliest opportunity.”
Although the Commission can impose penalties and change rules, it prefers to solve problems by working directly with the sector.
Maintaining Standards and Addressing Challenges
Gardner reminded attendees that these exemptions don’t reduce their ongoing responsibilities. Some operators haven’t updated the Commission about changes to key personnel. That breaks licence conditions.
She also confirmed the Commission’s ongoing efforts to tackle illegal lotteries and non-compliant prize competitions. Between August 2024 and April 2025, the Enforcement team received 93 reports about potential violations.