Play our Charity Lottery

I have signed up to a specific Charity (society) on Affinity, but does that society get 100% of my money if it’s a pooled draw with other society lotteries?

Each society runs their own lottery on the Affinity platform and 100% of your entry fee is paid to the society you signed up to.  The society’s lottery Terms and Conditions available on the website provide details of how much of your entry fee goes directly to the society’s good cause as and how they spend on expenses related to promoting and running their lottery.

Can I enter more than once?

Yes, you are more than welcome to enter more than once. You can enter up to 5 chances per society lottery, on the condition you do not exceed more than 50 Chances across all participating societies.

How can I pay to enter?

The Affinity Lottery platform only accepts payment by monthly direct debit.

How much will my Direct Debit be?

Every chance costs just £1.00 per draw and the amount debited will depend on the number of chances you have selected and on the number of Fridays between each payment, e.g.:

• Playing 1 chance a week with 4 Fridays between your direct debit collections with result in a £4 collection.
• Playing 1 chance a week with 5 Fridays between your direct debit collections with result in a £5 collection.
• Playing 2 chances a week with 4 Fridays between your direct debit collections will result in a £8 collection.
• Playing 2 chances a week with 5 Fridays between your direct debit collections will result in a £10 collection.

When will my Direct Debit be collected?

You can choose from the 1st or 15th of the month. Your Direct Debit will be collected on your chosen date or next working day and a schedule will be sent to you in advance. A Direct Debit collection will be made for each society lottery you have signed up to on the Affinity Platform.

Is monthly Direct Debit the only option or can I pay quarterly or annually?

Yes, you can only pay monthly by direct debit.

How will I recognise the Direct Debit on my Bank or Building Society account statement?

Your Direct Debit will appear as either AFFINITY LOTTERY or THE WOODS GROUP LTD T/A AFFIN LOT

Are my lottery payments eligible for Gift Aid?

Unfortunately, Gift Aid cannot be claimed on funds raised through the lottery.

How many numbers can I choose?

You can choose 6 numbers yourself or opt for a ‘lucky dip’ and the system will randomly select your lottery number(s).

Will I receive confirmation?

Yes, you will receive a welcome letter via email with confirmation of your entry to the Lottery, along with your Direct Debit advance notification letter and your chosen lottery number(s).  This will only be sent via post where no email address has been provided, or an email has been rejected.

I haven’t received confirmation of my numbers, what should I do?

You can contact our Lottery Helpline as shown on the website.

Can I change my numbers?

Yes, you can change your numbers in the ‘manage my account’ area on the website.

How often does the draw take place?

There is a draw every week on a Friday.

How many prizes are there?

Each week you have the opportunity to win one of 37 cash prizes: 1st Prize: £25,000, 2nd Prize: £1,000 and 35 guaranteed Runner-up Prizes: 5 x £20, 10 x £10 and 20 x £5

How does it work?

6 numbers between 1 and 49 are randomly selected. We will then check all of the eligible entries to see if any match the 6 or 5 numbers in any order. If all 6 numbers are matched, you will win £25,000 and if you match 5 numbers you will win £1,000, from a shared prize pot. If more than one eligible entry matches, the prize pot will be split equally between each winning entry.

What’s more, every week 35 lucky winners are randomly selected from all eligible entries who are guaranteed to win our runner up prizes.

How do you select the winners?

The winners will be selected electronically using a random number generator, tested and approved by a Gambling Commission certified test house.

How will I know if I’ve won?

Following the draw, you will be notified by email where possible with funds subsequently deposited directly into your bank account. In the event of an undeliverable email you will be notified by post.

1^st and 2^nd prize winners will be notified by telephone with confirmation and a cheque sent by post once the applicable eligibility checks have taken place.

It is important to keep your details up to date so we know where to send any winnings. You can make updates at any time by managing your account online.

Can I check if I have won online?

Yes. Every Friday afternoon the results will be available online.

How soon after signing up will I be able to win?

From signing up you will be entered into the next available draw which could be between 20 and 30 working days later. This gives us time to complete the necessary administrative processes including payment verification, claiming the funds from your bank and the funds being received for the draw.

If I do not bank the winning cheque for the 1^st or 2^nd prize will the money be donated to the Society?

The 1^st and 2^nd prizes on Affinity Lottery are insured prices therefore any cheque not banked within 6 months of the draw date is forfeited; Woods Valldata is legally required to return the funds to the Insurance company.   If a Player wishes to donate their winnings to their chosen Society, they must bank the winning cheque and then send a donation to the Society.

Can a person claim winnings on behalf of a deceased Player?

Yes, if the person claiming can prove, to Woods Valldata’s reasonable satisfaction, that they are entitled to make the claim on behalf of the deceased Player’s estate.

Where can I see the full terms and conditions of the lottery?

You can find the full terms and conditions of the lottery on the lottery website

How do I increase or reduce my chances?

You can do this online via the ‘Manage my account’ area.

How do I cancel?

You can cancel your Direct Debit through your bank or contact us directly.

I have a problem signing up online, who can help me?

You can contact our Lottery Helpline as shown on the website.

I have moved address, or changed my email address who do I notify?

You can update your name, contact details, bank account details all through the ‘manage my account’ area on the website.

Can I still play if I live outside of Great Britain?

Unfortunately, no. Only residents of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) can play the Affinity Lottery as the licence only covers Great Britain. No entrants are permitted from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Who runs Affinity Lottery?

The Woods Group Limited (trading as Woods Valldata), Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, SN14 6NG.

What are the entry requirements for the Lottery?

You must be 18 years old or over and live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to enter the Affinity Lottery or to claim a prize.

Full terms and conditions apply and can be found on the lottery website

I’m worried about the effects of gambling. What should I do?

If you’re worried about the effects of gambling on you or someone you know, you can find information on the Gamble Aware website or you can call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. We encourage our supporters to gamble responsibly. For more information on responsible gambling, please visit the gamble aware website.

If you are gambling more than you want to, then you have the option to self-exclude yourself from future lotteries and raffles. If you would like to be excluded from future lotteries and raffles, please download, complete and return this self-exclusion form to Affinity Lottery, Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 6NG.

Alternatively, you can call us on 0345 120 1363 and leave a message.

This exclusion will remain on our records for a minimum of 6 months, and you must contact the Lottery Helpline if you wish to play again after that time.

How can I make a complaint?

Any complaints relating to the Lottery should be sent in writing to Affinity Lottery, Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 6NG, giving full details of your complaint.

1. Overview

   The Affinity Lottery, provided by the leading fundraising services provider, enables UK charities and sports clubs, and other organisations that meet the Gambling Act 2005 (Section 19) definition of a ‘non-commercial society’ (the Society) to raise money through their own weekly lottery. Affinity Lottery is administered by The Woods Group Limited (trading as Woods Valldata), Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, SN14 6NG. Woods Valldata is an External Lottery Manager licenced and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 3586. Each Player will always be attributed to the Society they sign up to, and all proceeds will be distributed to that Society. When you sign-up to Affinity it guarantees that 50p of every £1 you play goes to your chosen Society. The remaining 50p is used to cover the expenses of the Affinity platform.

2. Introduction

   1. This lottery (the Lottery) is promoted by and on behalf of Replacing Animal Research, a charity registered in England (number 1176266 – England & Wales). which operates as Replacing Animal Research (the Society).
   2. The Society is registered with Nottingham City Council (https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/) to operate the Lottery
   3. The registered Responsible Person for the Replacing Animal Research is Catriona Sinclair, Replacing Animal Research, Cawley house, 149-155 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7HR
   4. The Lottery is subject to the laws of England and Wales.
   5. Based on average lottery ticket sales, the likelihood of winning a prize is:
      • First prize – 1 in 13.9 million chance
      • Second prize – 1 in 55,200 chance
      • Runner up prizes – 1 in 85 chance
   6. Information on how lottery proceeds are spent are based on approximate figures
      • 50% of the proceeds is spent on expenses related to promoting and running the lottery
      • 50% of the proceeds is applied directly to the purposes of the Society from all tickets sold
   7. These Terms and Conditions are the Lottery Rules, by entering the Lottery, players agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

3. Definitions

   • Affinity Lottery: A single brand lottery administered by Woods Valldata for The Society to promote to their own supporters.
   • Chance: Each individual Player’s Numbers entered into the Lottery.
   • The Society: An entity established and conducted for charitable purposes or for the purpose of enabling participation in, or of supporting, sport, athletics, or a cultural activity, or for any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain.
   • Player: An individual who has registered to play the Lottery.
   • Player’s Number: The six numbers used to identify a Player’s individual Chance entered into the Lottery.
   • Responsible Person: The individual within the Society who is licenced by the Gambling Commission or registered with the Local Authority to perform the functions in connection with:
     1. the provision of facilities for gambling, or
     2. a person who provides facilities for gambling.
   • Winning Number: The number as detailed in Rule 7.1

4. Entry

   1. Underage gambling is an offence and legally players must be aged 16 or over to enter a lottery.
   2. The rules for the Lottery require entrants to be over the age of 18, therefore players will be required to provide their date of birth and to affirm that they are over the age of 18.
   3. The Society and/or Woods Valldata reserves the right to require proof of identity and age.
   4. Any Player who has entered and/or participated in the Lottery who is subsequently found to be underage will:
      1. Be excluded from any future draws.
      2. Receive a refund directly into their bank account for any amounts paid, minus any prizes already paid out.
      3. Have their direct debit cancelled.
      4. Not receive any prizes that might have been due to them, and if prizes have already been paid out, all reasonable attempts will be made to recover them if the amount in clause 4.4 b) is not sufficient.
   5. Players are not permitted to purchase Chances on behalf of any other person.
   6. The Lottery is open to residents of England, Wales and Scotland. No entrants are allowed from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.
   7. The cost of each Chance is £1 per week and payment must be received and cleared before entry to the weekly draw.
   8. Players can sign up to a maximum of 5 Chances per Society weekly lottery on Affinity on the condition they do not exceed more than 50 Chances across all participating societies.
   9. Payment for Chances must be made by monthly Direct Debit
   10. Payment of £4 or £5, or multiples of these amounts if you have more than one chance,will be collected directly from your bank account. The payment amount will be dependent on the number of draws in between your payment dates, this will enable entries to be made into every draw.
   11. Payments will be referenced as Affinity Lottery on your bank statement.
   12. Each Player’s individual Chance will consist of 6 numbers between 1-49.
   13. Different Players may be able to have the same set of Player Numbers as another Player.
   14. Players not wishing to choose their own numbers will be given randomly allocated numbers generated by the Affinity platform.
   15. Where a Player requests to change their chance numbers, the change will be made following receipt of the next payment. Players will have no claim on any prize until Woods Valldata has made the necessary update. Similarly, players will have no claim to any prize awarded to the previous selected numbers after Woods Valldata has made the change.
   16. The Society and/or Woods Valldata at their sole discretion may refuse to accept an entry for an individual to become a Player of the Lottery.
   17. You will be sent confirmation of your entry to the Lottery, along with your Direct Debit advance notification letter (ANLs) and your Player Number(s) via email. Postal ANLs will only be sent where no email address has been provided, or an email has been rejected.
   18. It is the Player’s responsibility to ensure that their personal information provided is accurate and the Society and/or Woods Valldata cannot be held liable for any error.
   19. Employees of the Society and Woods Valldata directly involved in the Lottery operations are excluded from playing the Lottery.

5. Administration

   1. If you discover an error in your name, address or any other details provided to us as part of your sign-up when you receive your confirmation then please log on via ‘Manage My Account’ or telephone Woods Valldata 0330 002 1517. Any required corrections will be made as soon as reasonably possible.
   2. Neither the Society and/or Woods Valldata shall be liable for any loss or damage, including not being entered into the Lottery and / or the right to receive a prize, suffered by a Player until such correction has been made.
   3. Chances will be entered into the first available Draw 4 working days after the Direct Debit collection has been made from your bank account.
   4. You may cancel your entry to the Lottery by telephoning Woods Valldata 0330 002 1517. Future direct debit payments will be cancelled within 3 working days.
   5. The Society and/or Woods Valldata may at its absolute discretion suspend the Lottery for any period of time. During such period, Woods Valldata shall:
      1. Suspend Direct Debit payments from your bank or building society account as soon as reasonably practicable, and;
      2. Retain any amounts which were paid prior to such suspension taking effect that have not been used to pay for Chances in previous Draws.
   6. You will be notified of further details regarding the resumption of the lottery or otherwise as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of suspension in writing.
   7. The Society and/or Woods Valldata may cancel your entry into the Lottery at any time. You will be notified accordingly as soon as reasonably practicable and will be reimbursed any amounts which have been paid but which relate to future draws.
   8. Other than the reimbursement of any such amounts, neither the Society and/or Woods Valldata shall be liable for any loss or damage, including not being entered into the Lottery and / or the right to receive a prize, suffered by a Player in relation to such cancellation.
   9. All Players’ funds for use in future lottery entries paid to the Lottery are held in trustee status to maintain a separation from our own trading income. This protects Players’ funds in the event of insolvency. This meets the Gambling Commission’s requirement for the segregation of customer funds at the level: medium protection. https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/information-on-customer-funds-your-money.
   10. Woods Valldata may amend these terms and conditions at any time; any significant changes to these terms and conditions will be communicated via this website.

6. The Draw

   1. A single draw for all Society lotteries using Affinity will take place every Friday.
   2. The draws are conducted by Woods Valldata, who use a random number generator, tested and approved by a Gambling Commission certified test house.
   3. To produce the Winning Number for each weekly draw, 6 numbers from 1 to 49 will be selected at random and all the eligible chances checked for any 5 or 6 number matches, in any order.
   4. Winners for the 3rd, 4th and 5th prizes will be drawn randomly from all eligible Chances.
   5. Winners will be notified by either post, email or telephone within 7 days.
   6. A list of the winning ticket numbers, initial, surname and town of winners’ will be published on the website e.g. J Bloggs from Swindon.
   7. There are no alternatives to the cash prizes and no interest is payable.
   8. 1st and 2nd prizes will be paid by cheque within 30 days of Woods Valldata completing the required eligibility checks. Cheques will be payable to the Player to the value of the prize won.
   9. All other prizes will be paid within 30 days by direct credit to your bank account to the value of the prize won. In the unlikely event of your bank returning the prize won to Affinity Lottery, a cheque will be sent instead made payable to the Player.
   10. Any prize not claimed or banked within 6 months of the draw will be forfeited and not paid out to the Player or the Society.
   11. Prizes will be paid out to a deceased Player’s estate if the person claiming can prove, to Woods Valldata’s reasonable satisfaction, that they are entitled to make the claim on behalf of the estate.
   12. Woods Valldata’s decision on all matters affecting the draw is final and legally binding, no correspondence regarding the results of the draw will be entered into.

7. Prizes

   1. Winners for the 1st and 2nd prize will be determined by whether a Player’s Numbers relating to a Chance in the Lottery matches all or some of the Winning Number as described below:
      1. 1st prize – All six numbers of the Player’s Numbers match the Winning Number.
      2. 2nd prize – Five numbers of the Player’s Number match five numbers of the Winning Number.
   2. If the Winning Number is drawn and more than one Player’s Number matches all six numbers, then the 1st prize value will be shared equally between each winner.
   3. If the Winning Number is drawn and more than one Player’s Number matches 5 numbers, then the 2nd prize value will be shared equally between each winner.
   4. If no Player’s Numbers match all six or five numbers of the Winning Number, then the 1st and/or 2nd prize will not be paid out and there will be no rollover.
   5. Winners for the 3rd, 4th and 5th prizes will be drawn randomly from all eligible Chances excluding any 1st and 2nd prize chances;
      1. The first 5 Chances drawn will receive the 3rd prize
      2. The next 10 Chances drawn will receive the 4th prize
      3. The final 20 Chances drawn will receive the 5th prize
   6. The prizes for the Lottery are:
      • Six Number Match – 1st prize £25,000.00
      • Five Number Match – 2nd prize £1,000.00
      • 5 x 3rd prize £20.00
      • 10 x 4th prize £10.00
      • 20 x 5th prize £5.00

8. Liability

   1. The Society or Woods Valldata shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by you arising from:
      1. Any delays or failures in any systems used by the Society, Woods Valldata or you to transmit e-mails.
      2. Any failure in any software or other systems used by the Society or Woods Valldata for the administration of the Lottery.
      3. Any delays or failures in the banking system used by the Society, Woods Valldata or you.
      4. The inability to award a prize due to:
         • any errors or omissions in the data provided.
         • the Player not able to prove that they have met the citeria specified in these Terms and Conditions.
         • any failure by the Player to update the Society or Woods Valldata with any changes to the contact data provided.
      5. Any refusal by the Society and/or Woods Valldata to accept an individual from signing up to the Lottery, or the cancellation of a Player by the Society and/or Woods Valldata.
      6. Any failure to enter your Chance into a draw.
      7. Any event beyond the reasonable control of either the Society and/or Woods Valldata.
      8. Any loss or damage incurred by a Player in connection with their entry to the Lottery, chance of winning a prize or use of any prize.

9. Self-Exclusion

   1. The Lottery is intended to be a fun way to support the Society’s charitable aims and the vital work it does. If you feel that you have a problem with gambling and wish to be self-excluded from the Lottery, please either:
      1. Telephone 0330 002 1517 to speak to a member of our team, or alternatively if you would prefer not to speak to someone you can telephone 0345 120 1363 and leave a message.
      2. Download the self-exclusion form here, and post it to Affinity Lottery, Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 6NG
   2. You will be opted out from all Society weekly lotteries on Affinity for a minimum period of 6 months.
   3. During your self-exclusion your direct debit will be cancelled, and any funds held on your behalf will be returned to you.
   4. If you wish to opt back into the Lottery after the minimum period of self-exclusion you will need to telephone 0330 002 1517 to re-enable your account.
   5. You will also be opted out of all marketing material during the self-exclusion period to ensure you are not sent any gambling related marketing material during this period.
   6. If you need to talk to someone about problem gambling, then please contact GambleAware who provides confidential support and counselling to anyone who is affected by problem gambling. Visit the GambleAware website where you can get help and advice (www.begambleaware.org) or contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, lines or live chat are open every day of the year, 24 hours a day.

10. Complaints

    1. Any complaints relating to the Lottery should be sent in writing to Affinity Lottery, Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 6NG, giving full details of the complaint and any supporting documentation.
    2. Complaints will be handled in line with the Society’s Complaints and Disputes Procedure.
    3. Complaints that cannot be resolved satisfactorily by the Society or Woods Valldata will be escalated to a third-party Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entity free of charge.

11. Privacy

    1. The Society is deemed the Data Controller, and Woods Valldata the Data Processor in relation to the personal data processed for the purposes of administering the Lottery.
    2. The Society and Woods Valldata are committed to protecting the privacy of Players and will use your personal information for the purposes of administering the Lottery as described in the Privacy Policy.

If you’re worried about the effects of gambling on you or someone you know, you can find information on the Gamble Aware website or you can call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. We encourage our supporters to gamble responsibly. For more information on responsible gambling, please visit the gamble aware website.

If you are gambling more than you want to, then you have the option to self-exclude yourself from future lotteries and raffles. If you would like to be excluded from future lotteries and raffles, please download, complete and return this self-exclusion form to Affinity Lottery, Lansdowne House, Bumpers Way, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 6NG.

Alternatively, you can call us on 0345 120 1363 and leave a message.

This exclusion will remain on our records for a minimum of 6 months, and you must contact the Lottery Helpline if you wish to play again after that time.