People’s Postcode Lottery calls to end ‘outdated’ £50m cap

The People’s Postcode Lottery has called for a more consistent approach to UK lottery regulation after a recent survey showed that 50% of people believe the ‘outdated’ £50m sales cap on charity lotteries is unfair. 

Research carried out by More in Common UK on behalf of the charity lottery also found that 58% of UK citizens are in favour of a scenario where charity lotteries and the National Lottery operate under the same rules.

The government has previously been urged to remove the annual sales cap, as research found that its abolishment could lead to a net increase in returns to good causes of between £16m and £132m.

Now, fresh calls from the People’s Postcode Lottery have added further pressure on a more level playing field. 

“The message from the public couldn’t be clearer. People want fairness and consistency in how lotteries and prize draws are regulated – the winner of which would be charities and good causes,” read a LinkedIn post from the organisation’s official page. 

“The scale of public support for a level playing field puts into perspective the modest nature of Postcode Lottery’s aim to reform the outdated annual cap on charity lottery licences – a change all about unlocking more funding for the charities and communities that need it most.”

The wider lottery contribution

Contributions to the wider community in the UK from lotteries have not been neglected, however. Allwyn UK, the operator of the National Lottery, contributed £33m per week to Good Causes in 2025, culminating in a total of £1.7bn for the year.

Allwyn UK – part of the pan-European lottery firm Allwyn International, which completed its merger with Greek firm OPAP – will look to increase this to £60m per week by the end of its licence in 2034.

While this shows that the central pillar of the UK’s lottery ecosystem is still set on returning its earnings to the community, these fresh calls from the People’s Postcode Lottery leave open questions as to whether this contribution could grow. 

Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery raised £236m for charities and Good Causes in 2025, for movements such as supporting school breakfast clubs and funding grassroots sports teams, and the charity is now pushing for a removal of this cap in an attempt to increase this figure.