What time is the saturday lottery draw (in the uk?

Lottery in the UK

• I am doing a feasability study for a new lottery company in the UK. Enclosed is a list of 90 questions for which I need answers. ALL QUESTIONS ARE UK SPECIFIC. A. LOTTERY 1. General i. Is the lottery state owned ii. Is the lottery operated by the state or a private company iii. How long does the contract run for iv. What percentage of the takings are committed to charities and welfare organizations v. How are agents appointed vi. Can the agency be transferred vii. How is the agency connected to the lottery system viii. What are the agents commission rate for sales of lottery ix. What commission is paid to the agents on winnings x. Are winnings tax-free or subject to what % tax xi. What is the breakdown of sales for lottery, scratch cards and other games 2. Games i. How many different lottery games are available ii. How many are daily iii. How many are weekly iv. How many are bi-weekly v. Breakdown the different games (e.g. 6/49; 6/45 + extra etc.) vi. What is the minimum cost per board vii. How are the forms paid for (credit card, cash, debit order) viii. How many boards are on a form ix. Are multiple plays available x. What is the maximum number of multiple plays xi. What daily draws are available xii. What time of day is the daily draw xiii. Are the lotteries a straight x/xx or do they have additional games xiv. What are the additional/bonus games xv. Are the additional/bonus games for the entire card or per board xvi. What is the additional cost of the bonus game xvii. How are prizes paid out (lump sum or ?) xviii. Are grand prizes rollover xix. Are forms personalized at time of purchase xx. Are prizes paid out against personalized winning forms only 3. Subscriptions i. Are annual subscriptions available ii. Is there a surcharge for the service iii. How is the service paid for iv. How long does it take till the service is activated v. How are the winnings paid out vi. What is the minimum draws for the service(in weeks ) vii. Is the service available for all games 4. Foreign Lotteries i. Can foreign lotteries be offered ii. How is payment effected iii. How can winning be paid out B. Financial 1. Banks i. Who are the major banks ii. iii. How has the prime rate changed over the last 12 months iv. Do the banks offer credit facilities against credit card sales v. Do the banks offer credit facilities against post dated deposited checks vi. What is the clearing time for checks vii. Can foreign currency be used as legal tender viii. Is on-line banking available ix. What is the procedure for returned checks, what legal claims can be made x. What are the restrictions on foreign currency transfers abroad xi. Can foreign companies hold bank accounts for businesses 2. Credit Cards i. Are credit cards a preferred form of payment ii. What is the cost of a CREDIT CARD transaction iii. Do CREDIT CARD companies offer payment terms (12, 18 payments with interest) iv. Can CREDIT CARDS be charged by phone v. How is approval for a transaction achieved vi. Is telephone approval given for each transaction vii. Is it possible to link directly into the CREDIT CARD companies by computer viii. What are the closing dates for CREDIT CARD transactions ix. Are CREDIT CARDS deposited directly into company bank accounts x. Can international credit cards be used as a form of payment for lottery xi. Can CREDIT CARD sales be cancelled within a limited time-frame xii. Are electronic debit cards available 3. Payment orders i. Are payment orders an acceptable payment form ii. How is approval obtained iii. How can payment orders be cancelled iv. Can payment orders be accepted and approved on-line v. What interface is needed for on-line banking 4. Billing Software i. What interface and protocols are needed for banks ii. What interface and protocols are needed for credit card companies iii. Is it necessary to have a multi-currency facility C. Legal 1. Telemarketing & Sales i. Is it legal to market products by telephone ii. Is it legal to sell by telephone and to finalize and have approved by phone iii. Is it legal to phone sell cross country/state iv. What information is needed in order to sell by credit card v. Is it legal to canvass potential clients by phone vi. Is it legal to sell by web 2. Syndicates i. Are syndicates a legal body for lottery ii. Can syndicates operate without any binding documentation iii. Are syndicates governed by a specific law/s 3. Foreign companies i. Can foreign companies be sole owners of a company operating in the territory ii. Can foreign companies maintain foreign personnel iii. What taxes are applicable iv. What social benefits and taxes are applicable to local employees v. What social benefits and taxes are applicable to foreign employees vi. How do foreign companies register vii. Can foreign companies transfer funds across borders freely viii. What is the rate of VAT ix. Is VAT applicable on sales to other countries x. Can foreign lotteries be offered in the country

• Answer:

  < General i. Is the lottery state owned The National Lottery is controlled by the National Lottery Commission, a non-governmental body. It regulates the National Lottery, selects the lottery operator and monitors its performance. http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/AboutUs/content.asp?id=63 Two acts of parliament lay down the framework for the National Lottery. Full transcripts of the law can be found as follows: National Lottery Act 1993. http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930039_en_1.htm National Lottery Act 1998. http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980022.htm The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has policy responsibility for the way National Lottery proceeds are given out. It sponsors the National Lottery Commission and co-ordinates the activity of the organisations which distribute money from the National Lottery to the good causes. http://www.culture.gov.uk/national_lottery/default.htm There are a number of proposed changes to UK gambling law. Full details of the proposed reforms can be seen here. http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/eqb2teb34h5swhy6cr4w5bfftdt2ovvxfsil3f6nlmpinheyip2slzif56wj5txn3ngtgdbkee2w5zuisssuz7c7leg/gamblingreportpgs.pdf The lottery licensing laws are also under review. http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/ekb7g7cfqspz74gjaz7ccozi3qsscewfsce4spqmbdvol3skw4uuuh4xa2do2snx5trvnthfg4zbb3saqz5xghyrwjh/reviewlotterylicensingdocument.pdf ii. Is the lottery operated by the state or a private company The lottery is operated by Camelot Group Plc ? a public limited company. Address: Camelot Group plc, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts, WD18 9RN, United Kingdom Telephone: 01923 425000 http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/index.jsp iii. How long does the contract run for Seven years from 27 January 2002. http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/Licencing/ iv. What percentage of the takings are committed to charities and welfare organizations 28% goes to good causes. A breakdown of how the takings are distributed is shown at this site. http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/about.htm v. How are agents appointed The number of retailers applying for a lottery terminal is roughly three times as many as there are terminals available. The lottery operator selects the retailers based on commercial judgements. The operator?s knowledge of the retail market nationally and locally makes it best placed to decide how to meet local patterns of demand. Camelot automatically considers all applicants in an area who meet the basic criteria when a lottery terminal becomes available in it. It has published basic minimum criteria for selecting new retailers. The decision is based on local shopping habits. http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/ForRetailers/ The basic minimum criteria for becoming a retailer are: Store selling space of over 750m2 Over 750 customers per day. Opening hours between at least 9.00am to 6.00pm daily and until draw break (currently 7.30pm) on draw days. http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/retailers/retail_select.jsp A guide to Camelot?s retailer selection policy. http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/downloads/retailer_selection_policy2.pdf vi. Can the agency be transferred A new owner of a store can take over the agency. vii. How is the agency connected to the lottery system The agency is connected to the lottery system via a lottery terminal. viii. What are the agents commission rate for sales of lottery 5% commission is paid on sales. ix. What commission is paid to the agents on winnings None. x. Are winnings tax-free or subject to what % tax Winnings are tax free. xi. What is the breakdown of sales for lottery, scratch cards and other games The sales figures database gives all sales of tickets from 1994 to 2004. http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Sales_index.html 2. Games i. How many different lottery games are available There are 8 different in-store games ? Lotto, Thunderball, Lotto Extra, HotPicks, Daily Game, Scratchcards and Millionare Maker. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/games/playingInStore.jsp The lotto and Daily play can also be played online. There are 19 different online Instant Win games. 9 Lives, Bank The Cash, Cash Machine, Gold Fever, Hit The Quackpot, Holiday Bonanza, Hot Cards, Knight On The Tiles, Lucky Devil, Mini Connect 4, Money Spinner, Monopoly, Pharaoh?s Treasure, Pluck A Duck, Predict A Ball, Red Hot 7s, Safe Cracker Gold, Space Invaders and Winning 7?s. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/gaming/showGames.do?page=0 ii. How many are daily Daily game is played daily Monday to Friday. iii. How many are weekly None iv. How many are bi-weekly Lotto, Thunderball, Lotto Extra and Lotto HotPicks are all played on Wednesday and Saturday. v. Breakdown the different games (e.g. 6/49; 6/45 + extra etc.) Lotto ? 6/49 Thunderball ? 5/35 plus 1/14 Lotto Extra - 6/49 Daily Play ? 7/27 Lotto Hot Picks ? 2,3 or 4/49 vi. What is the minimum cost per board £1 sterling. vii. How are the forms paid for (credit card, cash, debit order) The method of payment depends on the in-store facilities. Cash, debit cards, cheque or postal order are accepted in most stores. UK law does not allow credit cards to be used for gambling however the law is currently under review and there are plans to allow gambling with credit cards. Jackpot or Jail? Reform of Gambling Laws in the UK. http://www.cr-law.co.uk/articles/viewarticle.asp?articleid=265 viii. How many boards are on a form There are seven boards on a form. http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Info/Playslip.html ix. Are multiple plays available Yes. x. What is the maximum number of multiple plays 8 weeks in store. Up to 104 weeks with a subscription. xi. What daily draws are available Daily play. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/gaming/drawgame/displayDailyGamePlayslip.do xii. What time of day is the daily draw Approximately 8.30pm Monday to Friday. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/gaming/drawgame/displayDailyGamePlayslip.do xiii. Are the lotteries a straight x/xx or do they have additional games The Lotto has an additional game called lotto extra. xiv. What are the additional/bonus games Lotto Extra. xv. Are the additional/bonus games for the entire card or per board Lotto Extra is per board. xvi. What is the additional cost of the bonus game £1 xvii. How are prizes paid out (lump sum or ?) The prizes are paid out in a lump sum. Prizes of up to £200 can be claimed from a National Lottery retailer. Some post offices are able to pay out prizes of up to £10,000. Prizes over this amount are paid out by one of Camelot?s Regional centres. http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/retailers/info.jsp How prizes are paid out for online games. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/games/howToClaim.jsp xviii. Are grand prizes rollover If the main prize is not won, the prize money is carried over to the next draw and becomes a rollover jackpot. xix. Are forms personalized at time of purchase No, forms are not personalized at the time of purchase, however Camelot recommends that players write their name and address on the back of the ticket. In practise very few people bother to personalise their tickets. xx. Are prizes paid out against personalized winning forms only No, prizes are paid out against winning tickets. 3. Subscriptions i. Are annual subscriptions available Subscriptions are available online and via postal subscription. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/subs/entry.jsp Postal subscription. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/files/subscriptionsapplication.pdf ii. Is there a surcharge for the service No. iii. How is the service paid for Direct debit from a bank account, cheque or postal order. iv. How long does it take till the service is activated Four weeks. v. How are the winnings paid out Winnings up to £10,000 are paid by cheque within 7 days. For wins over £10,000 it is necessary to make a claim at a Regional Centre. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/subs/furtherinfo.jsp#ch2 vi. What is the minimum draws for the service(in weeks ) The minimum number of draws is 26 and the maximum 104. It is also possible to subscribe for 52 draws. vii. Is the service available for all games It is available for Lotto and Thunderball. 4. Foreign Lotteries i. Can foreign lotteries be offered Foreign lotteries are illegal. ii. How is payment effected iii. How can winning be paid out B. Financial 1. Banks i. Who are the major banks Barclays http://www.barclays.co.uk/ NatWest http://www.natwest.com/redirect.asp HSBC http://www.hsbc.co.uk/ Lloyds TSB http://www.lloydstsb.co.uk/ Royal Bank of Scotland http://www.rbs.co.uk/ HBOS http://www.hbosplc.com/home/home.asp ii. iii. How has the prime rate changed over the last 12 months Bank of England ? changes in bank rate. http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/mfsd/rates/baserate.pdf iv. Do the banks offer credit facilities against credit card sales Banks offer a range of credit facilities for businesses. v. Do the banks offer credit facilities against post dated deposited checks vi. What is the clearing time for checks 3 working days. vii. Can foreign currency be used as legal tender Foreign currency is not legal tender, however Euros are accepted by a number of retailers especially in tourist areas. http://www.which.net/media/pr/jun03/general/euro_switch.html viii. Is on-line banking available Yes. ix. What is the procedure for returned checks, what legal claims can be made Cheques in the UK can be guaranteed with a bank card which will stop them bouncing. Most retailers in the UK will not accept cheques that are not guaranteed. If a cheque bounces the debtor must be first given a reasonable time to respond to a payment demand. If payment is not forthcoming, claims for up to £5,000 can be pursued in the small claims court. An informal hearing is heard in the judges chambers with a judgement made the same day. Court fees can also be recovered from the debtor. http://www.small-claims.co.uk/court_procedure.htm x. What are the restrictions on foreign currency transfers abroad None. xi. Can foreign companies hold bank accounts for businesses Yes. 2. Credit Cards i. Are credit cards a preferred form of payment Not for lotteries. They are currently not allowed for gambling. ii. What is the cost of a CREDIT CARD transaction The average fee in the UK is 1.1% of the transaction value. http://www.pwc.com/uk/eng/about/svcs/vs/pwc_preciousplastic_2003 iii. Do CREDIT CARD companies offer payment terms (12, 18 payments with interest) Yes, monthly payments. iv. Can CREDIT CARDS be charged by phone Yes. Streamline is the major provider of credit card transaction services. They offer point of sale and telephone systems. More information can be found at. http://www.streamline.com/index_frame.htm v. How is approval for a transaction achieved By phone or by credit card terminal. vi. Is telephone approval given for each transaction vii. Is it possible to link directly into the CREDIT CARD companies by computer Yes. viii. What are the closing dates for CREDIT CARD transactions ix. Are CREDIT CARDS deposited directly into company bank accounts Yes x. Can international credit cards be used as a form of payment for lottery Currently credit cards cannot be used for gambling in the UK. There is a proposed change in the law though. xi. Can CREDIT CARD sales be cancelled within a limited time-frame There can be charge backs for a number of reasons. xii. Are electronic debit cards available Yes. 3. Payment orders i. Are payment orders an acceptable payment form Direct debit from a bank account is acceptable. ii. How is approval obtained The customer needs to fill in their bank details giving name of account holder, branch sort code, bank/building society account number, name and postal address of bank and sign the form. You can see an example of a direct debit form here. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/files/subscriptionsapplication.pdf iii. How can payment orders be cancelled The customer can notify their bank to stop payment. iv. Can payment orders be accepted and approved on-line Yes. v. What interface is needed for on-line banking The major banks provide on-line banking services. 4. Billing Software i. What interface and protocols are needed for banks BACSTEL-IP is a high speed online payment and collection system. It delivers payment confirmations in 3 tyo 4 hours. http://www.bacs.co.uk/BACSTEL-IP/downloads/bacstel_ip_brochure.pdf ii. What interface and protocols are needed for credit card companies See Streamline for details. http://www.streamline.com/index_frame.htm iii. Is it necessary to have a multi-currency facility No. C. Legal 1. Telemarketing & Sales i. Is it legal to market products by telephone National lottery products cannot be marketed by telephone. Only market research calls can be carried out. The Telephone Preference service allows individuals to opt-out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing calls. A list of individuals who have opted out can be obtained by subscribing to the Telephone Preference Service. http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tpsr/html/Whatis.asp Regulations governing unsolicited calls. No one can make a direct marketing call to an individual subscriber who has either previously notified the caller that he or she does not want to receive such calls, or who has been registered with the TPS for twenty-eight days or more. Furthermore, as part of all direct marketing calls, the caller must give their name and, on request, a freephone telephone number or address by which they can be contacted. http://www.dti.gov.uk/industries/content/explanatory_note_on_unsolicited_direct_marketing_telephone_calls_faxes_how_to_avoid_them.html#calls ii. Is it legal to sell by telephone and to finalize and have approved by phone National lottery products are currently not sold over the telephone. I have not found any legislation that bans this. It is legal for bets on horseracing and other sporting events to be taken over the telephone. iii. Is it legal to phone sell cross country/state Probably ? see above. iv. What information is needed in order to sell by credit card Currently credit cards cannot be used for gambling. There are proposals to change the law to allow credit cards to be used for gambling. Credit card transactions usually require card holders name, card number and expiry date. v. Is it legal to canvass potential clients by phone Unsolicited phone calls or fax messages promoting National Lottery products are not allowed. A copy of the code of practice is available here. http://www.ateonline.co.uk/default.asp?showid=11&pageid=948 vi. Is it legal to sell by web Yes. 2. Syndicates i. Are syndicates a legal body for lottery The National Lottery recognises syndicates as legitimate players. It also provides guidelines for administering a syndicate. http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/games/syndicatesQuickTips.jsp A written syndicate agreement is legally binding and can be used to prove a case in court. ii. Can syndicates operate without any binding documentation Yes. However the Inland Revenue may charge inheritance tax on monies distributed to other winners if there is no written agreement. iii. Are syndicates governed by a specific law/s No. 3. Foreign companies i. Can foreign companies be sole owners of a company operating in the territory Yes. ii. Can foreign companies maintain foreign personnel Yes. iii. What taxes are applicable Income tax, national insurance, corporation tax, gambling duty. iv. What social benefits and taxes are applicable to local employees Income tax and national insurance are collected from employees via the Pay as you Earn (PAYE) system. Benefits include: free healthcare via the National Health Service. Child benefit. Unemployment benefit, entitlement to redundancy payments, maternity payments after qualifying periods. Pensions. An A-Z of benefits is given at the Department for Work and Pensions site. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/index.asp Department for Work and Pensions. http://www.dss.gov.uk/ Inland Revenue. http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/home.htm v. What social benefits and taxes are applicable to foreign employees Mostly the same as local employees except for income support. vi. How do foreign companies register Inland Revenue - Online registration https://online.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/index.jsp?AffGroup=org vii. Can foreign companies transfer funds across borders freely Yes. viii. What is the rate of VAT The rate of VAT depends on the product. There are rates of 17.5% (standard rate), 5% (reduced rate) and 0% (zero rate). Betting, gambling and lotteries are classed as exempt supplies and are not charged VAT. http://www.hmce.gov.uk/forms/notices/700-01cs.htm#P154_8155 Gambling duties. Lottery duty is 12 percent of gross stakes. http://www.hmce.gov.uk/business/othertaxes/betting.htm HM Customs and Excise ? VAT. http://www.hmce.gov.uk/business/vat/vat.htm Changes to UK business law. http://www.osborneclarke.com/publications/text/Companylaw.htm Department for Trade and Industry ? information on doing business in the UK. http://www.dti.gov.uk/for_business.html ix. Is VAT applicable on sales to other countries No. x. Can foreign lotteries be offered in the country No, they are illegal.> -------------------------------------- <Please ask for a clarification if any of the answers need further explanation.> <Search strategy:> <"national lottery"> <://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22national+lottery%22> <"inland revenue"> <://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22inland+revenue%22> <"national lottery good causes"> <://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22national+lottery+good+causes%22+> <dti> <://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=dti> <"telephone preference service"> <://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22telephone+preference+service%22> <vat> <://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=vat> <bounces cheque "small claims"> <://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=bounces+cheque+%22small+claims%22> <Hope this helps.>