Responsible gambling policy

As an organisation we take our responsibilities in regard to responsible gambling very seriously. This policy sets out our systems and safeguards.

1. Introduction

1.1 The MPS Society is a registered charity England and Wales 1143472 and Scotland SCO41012. dedicated to providing professional support to those affected by MPS, Fabry or a related lysosomal disease.  

1.2 To fund our services, we undertake a range of fundraising activities; one important area of fundraising is the Weekly Lucky Lottery. This is a society lottery, promoted for the benefit of a non-commercial society, established and conducted for charitable purposes.

 1.3 The Gambling Act 2005 is designed to control all forms of gambling and provides a legislative framework for operating a society lottery.

1.4 The MPS Society is registered with Buckinghamshire Council, Registration No:LC202402-131730.  To promote and operate lotteries, The MPS Society operates in accordance with the Gambling Commission’s license conditions. The Gambling Commission regulates gambling in the public interest. The regulatory framework introduced by the Gambling Act 2005 is based on the following licensing objectives:

• Preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime and disorder, or being used to support crime

• Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way

• Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

• Promoting social responsibility in gambling

2. Fair and Open Draws

2.1 We are committed to conducting our lottery in a fair and open manner.

2.2 We will ensure that all Terms and Conditions for the running of the lottery are fair and open and are available to all participants.

 2.3 Terms and Conditions are published on The MPS Society website. Players will be notified of any changes before they come into effect.

2.4 Players have access to clear information on matters such as the rules of the game, the prizes that are available, the chances of winning, and the way in which prizes are allocated.

2.5 Upon request from any player, we will provide a full history of their lottery membership, including complete payment and winnings history.

 2.6 We will ensure that all key promotional details in respect of prizes and entry costs will be available to participants prior to any remote or non-remote participation into The MPS Society Weekly Lottery.

 2.7 We work with the External Lottery Manager (ELM) Sterling who run the draw using a random number generator that has been tested and approved by the Gambling Commission.

2.8 Winning numbers will be published on the our external lottery website every week with a direct link from the MPS Society website. 

3. Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons

 3.1 We will not permit sales of tickets to anyone under the age of 18.

3.2 All lottery marketing and promotional activity will advertise the minimum age for participation. Under the CAP code requirements for marketing of society lotteries we will not feature anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 years old participating in gambling.

3.3 When a new player signs up to our lottery they will be required to declare that they are over the age of 18 and will be required to confirm their date of birth. Anyone under the age of 18 will not be permitted to purchase a ticket to enter the lottery. If, upon winning, any individual is found to be under the age of 18, then all winnings will be forfeited.

3.4 Third parties, employees and volunteers signing up supporters for the lottery will be trained to ensure that entries are not permitted by under 18's. If supporters appear to be under-age then they will be asked to produce identification.

3.5 For remote sign-ups, supporters are required to enter their date of birth prior to signing up to the lottery. If the supporter is under 18 our lottery system will not allow tickets to be purchased.

3.6 In line with The MPS Society’s vulnerable person policy, we will politely refuse to accept further participation from people who have been discovered to be vulnerable or are suspected of being vulnerable. We may request that the person speaks with a carer or trusted family member before proceeding further with the gambling transaction.

3.7 All employees and volunteers will be trained to recognise vulnerable or potentially vulnerable people in line with the Fundraising Regulator Code of Fundraising Practice and Mental Capacity Act 2005.

3.8 Individuals can end contact with charities that they no longer wish to hear from through the Fundraising Preference Service. This can be done for yourself, someone else or an individual who has passed away by going to https://www.fundraisingpreference.org.uk/

4. Responsible Gambling

4.1 We are committed to ensuring that information about how to gamble responsibly and how to access information and help in respect of problem gambling is readily available.

4.2 Our lottery website will provide information on gambling support organisations and alert players to Be Gamble Aware.

4.3 On request, we will close any player’s lottery membership for a minimum period of 6 months, during which time the membership cannot be reinstated.

 4.4 Our society will provide appropriate awareness training to our employees on problem gambling.

4.5 To help customers to keep control of their gambling and recognise when it has become a problem we will provide information on our lottery communications to highlight that they should: •

• See gambling as entertaining and not as a way of making money

• Avoid chasing losses

• Only gamble what you can afford to lose

• Keep track of the time and amount you spend gambling

• Read the game rules

• Know that help is available If you are concerned that gambling may become a problem for you or someone you care about

If you are concerned that gambling may become a problem for you or someone you care about, the following questions can help you to identify problem gambling:

• Do you stay away from work to gamble?

• Do you gamble to escape from a boring or unhappy life?

• When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost and in despair and need to gamble again as soon as possible?

• Do you gamble until your last penny is gone, even the fare home or the cost of a cup of tea?

• Have you ever lied to cover up the amount of money or time you have spent gambling?

• Have others ever criticised your gambling?

• Have you lost interest in your family, friends or hobbies?

• After losing, do you feel you must try and win back your losses as soon as possible?

• Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?

• Is your mental health being affected because of your gambling?

If the answer is 'yes' to one or more of these questions, you/they may have a gambling problem and we advise that you/they speak to someone about it. You/they should contact the National Gambling confidential helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit the website https://www.begambleaware.org/ for further information.

4.6 A single player will be limited to a maximum of £10 worth of entries in our lottery per week.

4.7 Each player in our lottery will be limited to a single membership.

4.8 We will not take lottery entry payments via credit card.

5. Self-Exclusion

If you have a problem with gambling, you can tell us to stop sending you information about our lottery. When you ask us to do this, we will exclude you for a minimum of six months and until you tell us that you are ready to receive information from us. We will remove you from our marketing database and you will not receive any marketing communications from us until you decide to opt in to communications. We will also let our External Lottery Manager Sterling know so that you can be removed from their database and your account managed as set out in 5.3 and 5.5. We will make information about how to self- exclude and what this will mean for the supporter available on our lottery website, or you can call us on 0345 389 9901 / email to fundraising@mpssociety.org.uk

5.1 Our fundraising team will be trained to administer the self-exclusion system and signpost to counselling and support services.

5.2 Our ELM, Sterling Management Centre Limited utilises technology which identifies self- excluded players and prevents them from re- entering the lottery.

5.3 A self- excluded individual will be flagged or removed from our marketing databases within two days of receiving a completed self- exclusion notification.

5.4 During self- exclusion, a player’s account will be closed and any funds held on their behalf will be returned to them. Your numbers may match the prize draw, but you will not be eligible to win if you have self-excluded from the lottery.

5.5 Where self- exclusion has expired, we will not market our lottery or any other communications from The MPS Society to that player unless they have made a positive decision to return to the lottery of their own accord.

5.6 We cannot self-exclude individuals at the request of another individual unless they can prove that they are said individual’s power of attorney.

6. Preventing Gambling from Being a Source of Crime and Disorder, Being Associated with Crime and Disorder, or Being Used to Support Crime

6.1 We will maintain our Gambling Commission licenses in accordance with the Licensing Code of Conduct and Practices and submit the required reports to the Gambling Commission.

6.2 We will train our team to recognise suspicious transactions and the process of reporting them in line with the Proceeds of Crime Act.

6.3 A single player will be limited to a maximum of £10 worth of entries in our lottery per week.

6.4 Each player in our lottery will be limited to a single membership.

6.5 We will not take lottery entry payments in cash.

This policy document was approved under the Society’s policy approval process on a version-controlled basis.

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