UK — Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy launched a consultation on changes to the UK national lottery system, marking the first government review in over 20 years. The consultation will last for 12 weeks and examine how money raised from ticket sales should be distributed.

"The national lottery is played by millions of people every single week. It is not just public money, it is literally the public's money and they must be in the driving seat of how it is spent," Nandy said.

"But for two decades no government has asked people how they want their money to be spent," she added. "Decisions are made hundreds of miles from communities who know best and favour larger organisations who can meet the needs of the system, rather than bending the system to work for the small, grassroots organisations who are the lifeblood of our communities."

"This government is determined that will change. With this consultation we are bringing people back into the conversation. They will write the next chapter in the story of the national lottery and of our country," Nandy said.

The national lottery has collected more than £53bn for good causes since its launch in 1994. Nearly 22 million people watched the first televised draw that year, which was hosted by Noel Edmonds.

Camelot held the right to operate the national lottery franchise until 2022, when Allwyn won the 10-year licence. Allwyn is ultimately owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komárek. The competition process for the licence has spawned a series of lawsuits.