Councils up and down the country are beginning to realise the desire for local lotteries. Corby, Portsmouth, Southampton and a new Welsh lottery are inspiring other councils to try. Now a Hart District Council lottery is on the cards. The first tickets went on sale 6th June for a draw on 8th July. Organisers hope it will raise plenty of money for local good causes. So far, some 30 charities in the area have signed up with more every day. It promises a greater proportion of funds going to charity: 60% (staying local) against 28% of National Lottery revenue.
By Martinvl – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26762560
About the Hart District Council Lottery
Like the National Lottery, the Hart District Council Lottery asks players to choose a set of numbers. Other lotteries prefer individual raffle numbers but that’s not the route for Hart. Each entry costs £1; 60% goes to good causes and 40% goes towards the prize fund for that draw. Players enter online only. You cannot buy tickets at local shops. This cuts down administrative costs, ensuring more of the money raised goes to local causes and to the prize fund. Unlike other local lotteries, Hart District Council will not make any money from the scheme. It is not a way of raising extra funds in light of central government cuts.
Charities in the area will not be required to pay anything. It’s free to sign up and apply for funding. Organisers hope the Hart District Council Lottery will prove particularly enticing for local players. There is a 1/50 chance of winning something every week. The top prize is £25,000. Not life changing, but certainly not to be sniffed at either. All over the country, players are seeing the benefit of a greater chance of winning a smaller prize. It is hoped that this will spur on more local charities to success.