Macular Society Weekly Lottery Rules

Definitions

An application to play the weekly lottery – applying to enter the weekly lottery by completing a form online or returning a postal form, or by calling the lottery helpline

CAF payment – donation made through the Charities Aid Foundation

CTT Charity Payments re Macular – the account name that will appear on the direct debit reference

External Lottery Manager – a company that manages the weekly lottery on behalf of the Macular Society, responsible for ensuring the lottery complies with Gambling Commission legislation.

Lottery number – a six-digit number generated and confirmed in writing within 21 days upon joining the weekly lottery.

Lottery scheme – the Macular Society weekly lottery as a charitable giving product

Macular Society weekly lottery or weekly lottery – a way to fundraise which gives players a chance to win 100 prizes every week. The cost of a single entry is £1 per week. The weekly lottery is a way to support research and help those affected by macular disease, with profits going to the Macular Society.

Player – an individual taking part in the Macular Society weekly lottery

Macular Society raffle superdraw or raffle superdraw -  a way to fundraise which gives participants a chance to win 100 prizes twice a year. The cost of a single ticket is £1. The raffle superdraw is a way to support research and help those affected by macular disease, with profits going to the Macular Society.

Winning number - a six-digit number selected by a random number generator

Terms

1. The cost of each weekly lottery entry is £1 per week. Players may purchase more than one entry (subject to clause 19).
2. Entry is open to all UK residents but excludes:

• Macular Society employees and Trustees directly involved with the administration and management of the weekly lottery.
• Third parties directly involved in the administration or management of the weekly lottery.

3. Entries are not to be sold by or to anyone under 18 years of age. Any person found to be under 18 years of age automatically forfeits the right to any prize. Any entries bought by under 18’s will be excluded from the draw and considered as donations to the Macular Society.
4. When you become a player, your unique lottery number(s) will be generated and confirmed in writing within 21 days. Your number(s) will remain the same each week. No physical ticket will be supplied.
5. The weekly draw will be conducted every Friday. In the event of a Friday Bank Holiday, that week’s draw will be conducted on the next working day. The draw will be conducted by a random selector which will choose 100 winners from all eligible entries.
6. Payment for the weekly lottery must be received in advance of the weekly draw. Only lottery numbers for players with sufficient credit at the time of the draw will be eligible for prizes. Late or missed payments may result in player’s lottery numbers not being eligible for every draw. To check the credit on your account, please contact the Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285.

• If you pay by direct debit, it is your responsibility to ensure there are sufficient funds available for the monthly Direct Debit collection. We will attempt to contact you if we cannot take the Direct Debit.
• If you pay by debit card or cheque, and pay more than 6 weeks in advance, we will send you a letter when your credit is running low.
• We will attempt to contact you once again if we do not receive payment or confirmation of cancellation. If we still do not receive payment or confirmation of cancellation, we will set your lines to cancel once credit expires, and we will send you a cancellation notification letter.

7. The winning numbers will be available via the Macular Society website at macularsociety.org/lottery or verbally by calling the Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285. Results will be available the next working day following the draw.
8. There are no alternatives to any prize, and no interest will be payable. If you pay by Direct Debit, prizes will be paid directly into your bank account, otherwise a cheque will be sent within 21 days.
9. There are 50 weekly lottery draws a year with the following prize breakdown: 1 x £1,000, 5 x £25 and 94 x £5. Based on the number of weekly lottery entries in 2025, the likely chance of winning a prize for a single entry each week is approximately 1 in 83.
10. Weekly lottery players automatically receive one entry into the raffle superdraw for each lottery entry. The raffle superdraw will replace the weekly lottery draw that week.
11. There are two raffle superdraws each year with the following prize breakdown: 1 x £10,000, 1 x £500, 1 x £250 and 97 x £10. Based on the expected number of entries into the raffle superdraw, the likely chance of winning a prize for a single entry in each draw is approximately 1 in 866.
12. From the proceeds of all weekly lottery entries during 2025: 25.82% was spent on expenses, 19.11% on prizes and 59.38% was used to fund our important work.
13. The Macular Society is not responsible for any delays in bank payments. Entries can only be included in the lottery once full payment for each entry has been received.
14. CAF payments cannot be accepted to pay for lottery entries.  All CAF payments will be returned with a request for alternative payment or treated as donations.
15. No liability is accepted for loss, theft or delayed receipt of any communication sent by post.
16. The Macular Society or its External Lottery Manager may (without giving any reason or notice) decline to accept an application to play the weekly lottery or cancel an existing subscription. The Macular Society or its External Lottery Manager may terminate or suspend the lottery scheme. Any decisions made regarding the lottery and its rules shall, once made, be final and binding.
17. The rules are subject to change by the Macular Society or its External Lottery Manager. Copies of the latest rules will be published on macularsociety.org/lottery or a printed copy can be requested by calling the Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285.
18. In the event of an error, howsoever caused, whether a printing error or otherwise and whether obvious or otherwise, which affects the lottery in any way, the organisers reserve the right to fairly administer the lottery as though the error had not occurred. Where we deem it appropriate and/or feasible, the Macular Society will notify entrants of the error.
19. The Macular Society is 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 to all. Please refer to the website at lottery.macularsociety.org/problem-gambling  or request a printed copy by calling the Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285.
20. The maximum number of entries for an individual in each weekly draw is five.

Round Up terms

21. Round Up allows you, as a weekly lottery player, to increase the value of your support with a donation in addition to the entry cost. For example, if you purchase one entry for £4.34 per month, you can round your payment up to £5.00 per month, with £0.66 treated as a donation to the Macular Society. You can choose your own amount to donate each month. If you choose to round up your donation, you can amend or remove this from your Direct Debit at any time by contacting the Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285. We can claim Gift Aid on round up donations, but we are unable to claim Gift Aid on your lottery entry payments. Your donation will not be used to top up your lottery account if you do not have enough credit to be entered into a weekly lottery draw.

Cancellation terms 

By playing our weekly lottery, you’re funding more research to find a cure for macular disease and supporting people living with it today. However, if you change your mind, we want to make the cancellation process as straightforward as possible.

22. You can cancel your weekly lottery subscription at any time. You can do this by using one of the following contact methods. When you contact us, please include your full name, subscription ID, and contact details.
    Phone: call the Weekly Lottery Helpline on 01628 201 285. Lines open 9am - 5pm Monday – Friday.
    Email: Send a cancellation request to lottery@macularsociety.org  
    Post: Write to us at Macular Society Weekly Lottery, Beechwood, Suite 1, Grove Park, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3LW
    If you pay by credit card, debit card or cheque, no further action is required once we process your cancellation request. If you pay via direct debit, please ensure you also contact your bank or building society to cancel the payment mandate.
23. Refunds for unused entries will only be issued at our discretion and in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please contact us for further information if applicable.
24. Once your cancellation request is processed, you will receive a confirmation via your preferred contact method (email or post). Please retain this confirmation for your records.

Promoter: Macular Society. Responsible Person: Helen Blyth, Macular Society, PO Box 1870, Andover, Hampshire SP10 9AD. Macular Society is a charity registered in England and Wales 1001198, Scotland SC042015.

For our Privacy Policy, please visit macularsociety.org/privacy

Licensed by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. License number 031189. gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Please gamble responsibly. Problem gambling support: The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 802 0133 (lines open 24 hours a day) gambleaware.org  

Weekly Lottery direct debit payments will appear on your bank statement as “CTT Charity Payments re Macular”.

Direct Debit Guarantee

• The Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, CTT Charity Payments re Macular will notify you 5 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request CTT Charity Payments re Macular collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by CTT Charity Payments re Macular or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.
  • If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when CTT Charity Payments re Macular asks you to.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.