A range of the Operator’s activities require the written approval or consent of the Regulator under the Licence, prior to putting them in place, to ensure they are compliant with the legal framework.
Requests Tracker:
Operator’s activities that require the written approval or consent of the Regulator include:
- New or amended lottery games.
- New service providers.
- Internal audit reporting line.
- Approvable descriptions of processes and systems.
- Changes to Codes of Practice
Details of requests for approval or consent received by the Regulator, and the process and checks in place, are set out below.
Approval process
Each request is examined by a team of experts within the Office of the Regulator to assess whether it complies with the relevant provisions of the Act and the Licence. The team typically comprises:
- the Head of Audit and Finance,
- the Head of Legal and Compliance,
- the Head of Player Protection and Research, and
- the Regulator.
The checks conducted are designed to ensure the National Lottery is operated in a sustainable manner, with all due propriety, and places strong emphasis on player protection.
For example, when requesting approval for a new game or a change to an existing game, the Operator submits:
- proposed game rules,
- prize structure,
- images of the game artwork,
- estimated returns to good causes,
- a game risk report.
These are all checked for accuracy, clarity, risks to players, compliance with the Advertising and Promotion Code of Practice, including required information and trademarks, and more.
If the Regulator is not satisfied that a request is compliant, the request may be rejected or the Operator may be asked for further information and explanations. Additional information must be supplied within a time limit specified in the Licence.
Often the Operator submits an amended proposal or an explanation that addresses the issue identified by the Regulator so that the request may be approved. If the Operator is unable to address the concerns within the time limit, the request is rejected by the Regulator.
The approval process can take from four weeks to several months depending on the nature and complexity of the request. Sometimes requests are withdrawn by the Operator, which can occur for a variety of reasons.