Support for significant changes in the laws around charity lotteries in Northern Ireland has come from a surprise source in former US presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton.
A video intervention from Clinton emphasised that the changes could usher in an era of “vital new funding for Northern Ireland’s civil society.”
The surprising but somewhat powerful intervention of Clinton comes following Alliance Party member Sian Mulholland seeking views on the state of play for lottery laws in Northern Ireland, following the launch of a consultation.
Upon launching the intervention, Mulholland had warned of concerns around social responsibility and ensuring that those most vulnerable to gambling addiction are impacted.
Clinton also stated that her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is also backing the bill to bring the postcode lottery to Northern Ireland, underpinning that it can be crucial in unlocking new funding for the third sector and a plethora of communities.
“When we heard that People’s Postcode Lottery might come to Northern Ireland, we wanted to lend our voices in support”, Clinton stated around the duo’s support for the bill.
Clinton’s support for the bill lands the US political powerhouse in the opposite corner to Northern Ireland’s lottery leader Allwyn.
The operator of the lottery in Northern Ireland has been firm in its stance against society lotteries. Earlier in the month, the group underpinned this through a statement amidst the review of the sector in Northern Ireland.
Gillian Taylor, Director of Communications at Allwyn, said: “The National Lottery changes lives in Northern Ireland every day. It has so far made more than £1.5 billion in National Lottery funding for charities, individuals, and organisations.
“It has created 195 millionaires and every day supports around 1,500 mostly local shops generating much-needed footfall, sales and income for shopkeepers at the heart of the community, helping to keep them alive in a way that online-only lotteries like The People’s Postcode Lottery cannot and will not.
“These proposals will cost millions of pounds to National Lottery-funded charities and retailers. As experience in Great Britain shows, the operation of industrial-scale society lotteries has reduced the funding for National Lottery Good Causes and the public purse by £1 billion over 10 years.
“The Northern Ireland lottery framework has successfully delivered National Lottery funds to places that really need it for 30 years in a sustained, long-term way with local funders who are part of their local communities and who understand their needs. It is a model that really works. We believe that changing this landscape – with the possible introduction of the People’s Postcode Lottery and other industrial-scale society lotteries – puts all of that long-term stability at risk.”
