Limits on society lotteries are set to increase in Northern Ireland, a membership body has said, which could boost fundraising for charities in the devolved nation.
The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) said social policy unit officials from Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities proposed a range of increases in a meeting earlier this week.
According to NICVA, prize limits are set to increase from £25,000 to £200,000, maximum ticket sales in a single lottery will rise from £80,000 to £500,000, and the cap on overall sales in a year will double to £2m.
It said the department also plans to increase the ticket sales limit for private lotteries from £1,000 to £5,000.
NICVA said secondary legislation will be introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly after the summer recess, and the new rules could be in place by the end of this year or early 2025 if they are agreed.
“This is good news for charities, sports organisations and other voluntary-led organisations which use lotteries as a way of raising funds for their organisation,” NICVA’s governance and charity advice manager Denise Copeland said.
The proposed limits in Northern Ireland remain lower than those set by the UK government, updated in 2020, of a £500,000 prize limit, £5m ticket sales cap and maximum of £5m from overall sales in a year.
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