British charities are speaking out about government restrictions that have been placed on charity lotteries which could cost them up to £198m over the next five years.
The Effect of Government Lottery Restrictions
The UK Government is so far refusing to lift the restrictions placed on the annual sales of lotteries. It was raised in 2020 from £10 million to £50 million, however, many British charities are arguing that this is still not sufficient and that it will massively impact their fundraising. Many charities are arguing that it could potentially cost them nearly £200 million over the next five years.
The Gambling Commission is unsure why these limits are in place on the charity lottery sector. No other type of charity fundraising has the same red tape imposed on it by the UK Government.
Charities Speak Out Over UK Government Restrictions
One of the largest UK charities speaking out on this is the People’s Postcode Lottery which supports over 70 charities. They are encouraging the government to remove the red tape on ticket sales that was first introduced way back in the 1960s.
Since 2005, the People’s Postcode Lottery has raised over £1 billion and has donated this cash to thousands of charities across the country. In 2022, the charity raised over £183 million which went to a myriad of good causes including homelessness charities and cancer charities.
Some of the big name charities that have been helped by the charity lottery include Barnardos, Crisis, Maggie’s, Young Lives vs Cancer, Keep Britain Tidy and the Royal Voluntary Service. Children’s charities such as Barnardos could receive an additional £5 million if the charity lottery red tape were to be lifted.
A meeting between the charities and the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society is set to take place next month, which is why this issue is being raised now. Several parliamentary MPs have backed the charities in their quest to have the red tape removed. This includes Esther McVey, Stephen Crabb, Robert Halfon, Tracey Crouch as well as the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Douglas Ross.
Top Bingo Offers:
Advertiser Disclosure: When you use WhichBingo, there are never any hidden fees or costs. To help fund our work we may earn a referral commission if you create an account via our site. This commission never impacts the impartiality of our reviews and ratings.
Disclaimer: 18+ New Customers. Opt in. Deposit & play £10 in any Bingo Room within 7 days. Get £60 on Bingo. Advertised £60 Bingo based on 10p tickets. Rewards expire after 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal&Paysafe) & spend £10 on select slots for bonus & spins or in select bingo rooms for bingo bonus. Wagering, max wins & individual promo. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
18+ New players only. Min deposit £10 and £10 stake on slot games required. 100 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza credited automatically. Free Spins value: £0.10 each. Free Spins expire 48 hours after crediting. No wagering on Free Spins; winnings paid as cash. Full T&C’s apply.
1st deposit only. Stake £10 on bingo for £40 bingo bonus (£30 online & 2 x £5 Club vouchers). 4x wagering requirements on online bingo bonus. Full T&Cs apply.
18+. New customers only. 30 day qualification period. 30 day bonus expiry. Bonus non-withdrawable, winnings paid in cash. Game & eligibility restrictions apply. Further T&C’s apply.
18+. New Players Only. GambleAware.org. Take time to think. Minimum Deposit £10. 10x wagering in 7 days. Max bet £5. Max win applies. For Casino offer Spin Value £0.1. Bingo offer Bonus Cash to be used on Bingo only.
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £10 on a selected slot for spins or in Main Event Bingo for bonus. Wagering & max wins apply. Individual promo T&Cs Apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
Required Significant Terms:* New members only, must opt in. Min £10 deposit & wager within 30 days from registration. Advertised ticket value based on £1 tickets. Game availability & restrictions apply. 18+ GambleAware.org #AD
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £10 on a selected slot for spins or in Main Event Bingo for bonus. Wagering & max wins apply. Individual promo T&C’s apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
Pride is here, and what better way to celebrate than with some drag bingo! We’re experts when it comes to a bingo night, so we’ve compiled a guide to the UK’s best drag bingo events. Here are my top 5 drag bingo events so you can celebrate in style: 1. Fanny Galore’s Big Bingo Party (London/Essex) She’s an Essex Queen. She’s the tart with a heart. Fanny Galore is a…
Nearly half a million votes were cast by real players in WhichBingo Awards 2026 – and with so many votes cast its crazy how close it was. One category was decided by just 18 votes. We’ve gone behind the numbers to reveal the other interesting statistics and stories that went into voting. The Race Decided By Just 18 Votes Thousands of votes were cast but Best Promotions was decided by…
After a record-breaking 500,000 votes from across the UK (nearly double last year’s total) the WhichBingo Awards 2026 winners have been crowned. Players decided 12 Main category winners. Four Editors’ Choice winners were selected by the WhichBingo editorial team through hands-on testing, WhichScore data, and years of tracking how brands actually perform. The winners were revealed on the night at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, Gibraltar. And for the first time…
A bingo player in Glasgow has won £50,000 at Mecca Bingo Glasgow Forge after hitting the National Bingo Game jackpot. The winner (who has asked to remain anonymous) is a long-standing regular at the Duke Street Mecca club, playing there with their family since it opened 30 years ago. They called house within the first 16 numbers called, triggering the top £50,000 prize. The Win As It Happened Sharon Kennedy,…
Nearly half a million votes were cast by real players in WhichBingo Awards 2026 – and with so many votes cast its crazy how close it was. One category was decided by just 18 votes. We’ve gone behind the numbers to reveal the other interesting statistics and stories that went into voting. The Race Decided By Just 18 Votes Thousands of votes were cast but Best Promotions was decided by…
Since launching in late 2025, Los Vegas Casino has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular casino sites in the UK. Los Vegas is in the top 20 brands on WhichBingo in terms of popularity, and has only been around for a matter of months. It is also the number one new site in 2026. It is pretty remarkable for the newest brand in the mix….
Brits are turning to VPNs in huge numbers to access illegal gambling sites, racking up an estimated 150-200 million minutes on dodgy casinos in January 2026 alone. And seriously risking their money in the process. VPN usage in the UK has surged since the Online Safety Act came into force in July 2025, and Gambling Commission research recorded around 20 million visits to illegal gambling sites that month. Often marketed…
From the X-Files, to baffling Norwegian novelty songs, there’s something about foxes, isn’t there? They’ve been capturing our imaginations for centuries; they’re sly, stylish, a little bit cheeky. Let’s take a loving look at the fox’s greatest cultural hits. What Does the Fox Say? – Nobody Asked, But Here We Are In 2013, Norwegian duo Ylvis asked a question nobody had considered and promptly broke the internet, racking up more…
Nearly half a million votes were cast by real players in WhichBingo Awards 2026 – and with so many votes cast its crazy how close it was. One category was decided by just 18 votes. We’ve gone behind the numbers to reveal the other interesting statistics and stories that went into voting. The Race Decided By Just 18 Votes Thousands of votes were cast but Best Promotions was decided by…
After a record-breaking 500,000 votes from across the UK (nearly double last year’s total) the WhichBingo Awards 2026 winners have been crowned. Players decided 12 Main category winners. Four Editors’ Choice winners were selected by the WhichBingo editorial team through hands-on testing, WhichScore data, and years of tracking how brands actually perform. The winners were revealed on the night at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, Gibraltar. And for the first time…
It’s time to decide the best slot games of 2026. The race for the WhichBingo Awards 2026 is officially on, and the Best Slot Game category is more competitive than ever. Now in its fourth year, this award is a true player favourite. The question is; will 2026’s best slot be a new release, a cult classic, or a franchise darling? Here are the nominees for Best Slot Game 2026…
Grab your dabbers bingo fans, the WhichBingo Awards 2026 are officially on the horizon. Now in our 13th year, the WhichBingo Awards are all about recognising the sites, games, venues, and people that players love. Winners are chosen through a mix of player votes, editorial insight, and expert opinion. From the bingo sites you keep coming back to, to the chat teams that make every session more fun, this is your chance to have your…
Brits are turning to VPNs in huge numbers to access illegal gambling sites, racking up an estimated 150-200 million minutes on dodgy casinos in January 2026 alone. And seriously risking their money in the process. VPN usage in the UK has surged since the Online Safety Act came into force in July 2025, and Gambling Commission research recorded around 20 million visits to illegal gambling sites that month. Often marketed…
You, the public have spoken. Over 480,000 votes cast across the main categories… and now it’s our turn. While the player vote decides the 12 winners in the Main categories, like Best Bingo Site and Best Slot Game, plus the 5 Pre-Show categories like Best Bingo Caller, there are a handful of categories at the WhichBingo Awards 2026 that an expert judging panel decides. These are the 4 Editors’ Choice…
Have you noticed UK casino bonuses looking a bit different in 2026? A major tax just came into effect that we expect will impact the bonuses you get at UK casino sites. But there is some good news for bingo players. We unpack what this all means for UK casino and bingo players. So What’s Actually Changed? The government has significantly increased the Remote Gaming Duty with the aim of…
Your chances of walking away with real cash from a casino bonus are set to improve significantly. New UK regulations are putting an end to unfairly high wagering requirements. From 19th January all casino sites must adhere to a 10x maximum wagering cap on bonus offers, following a landmark ruling by the Gambling Commission. Editor’s Note: Though your ability to convert bonus into real cash is improving, gambling is still…
The tombola table is a British classic, a national institution. And part of what makes it so beloved is that the prizes are, frankly, a lottery. A novelty pen that doesn’t work. A pack of nappies. A cuddly toy. A jar of chutney with a worryingly old best-before date. Whether at your local summer fair or a bingo hall, there’s always a collection of random items (this is key) atop…
After a record-breaking 500,000 votes from across the UK (nearly double last year’s total) the WhichBingo Awards 2026 winners have been crowned. Players decided 12 Main category winners. Four Editors’ Choice winners were selected by the WhichBingo editorial team through hands-on testing, WhichScore data, and years of tracking how brands actually perform. The winners were revealed on the night at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, Gibraltar. And for the first time…
Anthony Quinlan, best known as Gilly Roach in Hollyoaks and Pete Barton in Emmerdale, spoke exclusively to WhichBingo, home of the best bingo sites. With a new baby having just arrived, a BBC role just landed, and a supplement business going through a major rebrand, Anthony opened up about life after long-running soaps, why he said no to Big Brother, and how he finally stopped calling himself a Z-list actor….
From the X-Files, to baffling Norwegian novelty songs, there’s something about foxes, isn’t there? They’ve been capturing our imaginations for centuries; they’re sly, stylish, a little bit cheeky. Let’s take a loving look at the fox’s greatest cultural hits. What Does the Fox Say? – Nobody Asked, But Here We Are In 2013, Norwegian duo Ylvis asked a question nobody had considered and promptly broke the internet, racking up more…
by
Shaun Frackleton
2min
Updated October 16, 2024
Jennifer McFadyen
Slots & Bingo Writer
Jennifer McFadyen is a slot specialist and iGaming journalist with years of experience analysing online slots and industry trends. She provides detailed, transparent insights into RTP, volatility, bonus features, and game design, helping players navigate the latest releases.
Beyond slot reviews, Jennifer covers iGaming news, casino platform evaluations, and industry developments, offering expert analysis on new game launches and responsible gambling updates.
4min 
Reader comments