Powys to launch Council lottery
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter
At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the scheme despite some concerns that it could affect gambling addicts.
Volunteer organisations that had met members of the cabinet at the recent winter show in Llanelwedd had backed and been “excited” by the scheme, it was claimed.
Council Leader Cllr Rosemarie Harris said: “This would support the charitable sector, voluntary groups, churches, all sorts.
“We are in a state of reduced funding and for some years it has become increasingly difficult for us to provide grants to any community groups. Some community groups provide valuable support to us.”
“I view it very much like a raffle. We have already applied for a gambling licence and would look to set it up in the early spring.”
But some had reservations about creating the lottery which could harm some sections of society with Cllr Stephen Hayes, cabinet member for Adult Services, saying: “I do have to bear in mind a small number of people in Powys are gambling addicts.
“I would feel uneasy potentially adding anything that could add to the burden of their addictions. I don’t feel I can support this.”
Education portfolio holder, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander, pointed out that lotteries run by local authorities in England had not produced a new wave of social evils. She called it “logic chopping” to take money but not be willing to generate it.
PCC will now invite Gatherwell, which runs a lottery at Aylesbury Vale District Council in England, to run the lottery in Powys.
Tickets would be bought online and cost £1 with a maximum jackpot of £25,000 for matching all six numbers.
It is expected from the report that: “60% of all ticket sales would go to good causes, this compares to 28% in the National Lottery.”
PCC estimated that typically between £30,000 to £60,000 can be raised for good causes on an annual basis.
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