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href="/web/20070205102950/http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/">what we do</a></li><li> > <a>national lottery</a></li></ul></span> <a id="body"></a>  <div id="main">  <h1>national lottery</h1>   <p class="intro"> </p>   <div id="pageMainText"><span id="IntroText"><b>The DCMS has responsibility within Government for National Lottery policy, and sets the policy and financial framework within which the distributing bodies for National Lottery grants operate.</b></span> <p> <span id="BodyText"><p>We also sponsor the <a title="opens new browser window" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/" target="_blank">National Lottery Commission</a>, which regulates the National Lottery game and the game operator. The Commission's duties are to protect players' interests, to ensure that the Lottery is run properly, and to maximise the amount raised for good causes. </p> <p>The proceeds of the National Lottery support the arts, heritage, sport, charities and community and voluntary groups as well as supporting projects concerned with health, education and the environment.     </p> <p>There are currently 13 independent distributing bodies responsible for awarding Lottery grants.  These bodies make their grant decisions independently of Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. </p> <p>Following the announcement that the 2012 Olympic Games will be hosted by London, an additional distribution body has been established - the Olympic Lottery Distributor.     </p> <p>To apply for a Lottery grant you can contact the relevant distributing body through the <a title="Opens a new browser window " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/">Lottery Funding website</a> or by telephoning the Lottery Funding Hotline on <strong>0845 275 0000</strong>.  <a title="opens in a new browser window" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=584303034504" target="_blank">You can give your comments on the Lottery Funding website by taking part in this survey</a>, which runs until February 2007.<br></p> <p>Details of all the grants awarded to date can be accessed via the <a title="link to the National Lottery Grants Search Database" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/introduction.asp">National Lottery Grants Search Database</a>. </p> <p>The National Lottery Act, an important element of the Government's reforms to the National Lottery, was reintroduced on 24 May 2005. It aims to make the Lottery more responsive to people's priorities and to ensure that Lottery money goes efficiently to good causes. For further information see <a href="/web/20070205102950/http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/National_lottery/national_lottery_act/">National Lottery Act</a>.</p></span></p> <p> </p> <p> <span id="LatestItems1"><ul class="imageList"></ul></span></p> </div>  </div> <div id="extras">  <h2 class="top">websites of interest</h2> <table class="imgListRight" id="webInterest" width="100%"> <tr id="WebsitesOfInterest1_trWebsites1" valign="top"> <td class="col1"> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites5"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="Lottery Funding website - opens in a new window" src="/web/20070205102950im_/http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A494AA4C-E250-4730-AC3E-2BA57B5C9DBB/0/nlimage.gif" border="0"></a></span> </td> <td> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites1"><a title="opens a new browser window " href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/" target="_blank">Lottery Funding website</a></span> </td> </tr> <tr id="WebsitesOfInterest1_trWebsites2" valign="top"> <td class="col1"> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites6"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="national lottery commission - opens a new window" src="/web/20070205102950im_/http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E9EA768A-B739-4274-B7EB-94EFBCBCA915/0/natcomission.gif" border="0"></a></span> </td> <td> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites2"><a title="opens new browser window" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/" target="_blank">National Lottery Commission</a></span> </td> </tr> <tr id="WebsitesOfInterest1_trWebsites3" valign="top"> <td class="col1"> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites7"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Scams/default.htm" target="_blank"><img alt="Scams awareness campaign - opens a new window" src="/web/20070205102950im_/http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/512B425D-22C5-4F7D-BB23-0874EEEF2E3F/0/oft43x43.gif" border="0"></a></span> </td> <td> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites3"><a title="opens new browser window" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Scams/default.htm" target="_blank">Scams awareness campaign</a></span> </td> </tr> <tr id="WebsitesOfInterest1_trWebsites4" valign="top" class="last"> <td class="col1"> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites8"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lottery2009.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="lottery shares 2009 consultation - opens a new window" src="/web/20070205102950im_/http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B53097E0-E90F-4C87-A4D7-CAF692D290AF/0/nl2009ab.gif" border="0"></a></span> </td> <td> <span id="WebsitesOfInterest1_HtmPlhWebsites4"><a title="National Lottery Shares 2009 Consultation - opens new browser window" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102950/http://www.lottery2009.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Lottery shares 2009 consultation</a></span> </td> </tr> </table> <h2>related information</h2> <p> <span id="RelatedInformation1_HtmPlhRelatedInfo"><p>The first national lottery in Britain was run in <strong>1569</strong>. </p> <p>The first ever National Lottery draw took place on <strong>Saturday 19 November 1994</strong></p> <p>Total ticket sales are over <strong>£59 billion</strong> to the end of November 2006. </p> <p>By September 2006 <strong>£19 billion</strong> had been raised by the Lottery for the good causes and over <strong>250,000 grants</strong> had been made.</p> <p>More than half of all the Lottery grants made have been grants of<strong> less than £5000</strong> - bringing benefits to communities across the United Kingdom. </p> <p>A survey revealed two of the most popular places for jackpot winners to keep their tickets: "in their Bibles" and "in their underwear".</p></span> </p>  </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div>  <div class="footerIcon"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="bottom"> <p style="LEFT: 180px; 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