Customer Service and Feedback

1. Introduction
   
   Your Lottery must comply with the Gambling Commission's Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (the 'LCCP').
   
   The LCCP includes the following requirement which applies to Your Lottery:
   "Licensees must put into effect appropriate policies and procedures for accepting and handling customer complaints and disputes in a timely, fair, open and transparent manner."
   
   The Gambling Commission has a duty to permit gambling as long as it thinks it is reasonably consistent with the three licensing objectives set out in the Gambling Act 2005. These objectives are to:
   1. keep gambling free from crime and from being associated with crime;
   2. ensure that gambling is fair and open; and
   3. protect children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
   
   Effective, transparent and fair customer complaints handling is an important part of achieving the second licensing objective.
    
2. Definitions
   
   For the purposes of this Policy, 'complaint' means an expression of dissatisfaction, whether spoken or written, about any aspect of the way we conduct our services.
   
   For example, a complaint:
   1. about the outcome of a gambling transaction;
   2. about the way a gambling transaction has been managed; or
   3. that concerns the way we carry out our business in relation to the Gambling Commission's licensing objectives.
   
   'Disputes' in this Policy are those complaints that are about your gambling transaction (including management of the transaction) which have not been resolved at Stage One of our complaints procedure. Disputes may include, for example, matters linked to the application of bonus offers or to other terms and conditions, account management, or the ability to access funds and winnings.
    
3. Lottery Complaints Procedure
   
   Your Lottery aims to deliver high standards of customer care and service to all customers who use or experience our services.
   
   We hope that you will be completely satisfied with our services. However, if you do have cause to complain, we will deal with your complaint in a timely, fair, open and transparent manner. Every complaint will be taken seriously and considered fully in order that a satisfactory resolution can be achieved.
   
   We genuinely welcome and value your feedback and will deal with any feedback positively and, where possible, use it to improve the services we provide.
   
   We will endeavour to resolve complaints as promptly and amicably as possible. We will maintain a record of all complaints and the correspondence related to them in accordance with our internal data retention policies.
   
   Complaints will be handled using the following three stage procedure and in accordance with the flowchart set out at Appendix 1:
   
   
   1. Stage One
      
      Please set out your complaint in writing and send it as soon as possible to Your Lottery marked for the attention of the Lottery Manager or by email to darrellturton@YourLottery.org
      Please include details of the complaint, any supporting documentation and details of how we can contact you to resolve the complaint.
      
      Alternatively, you may make your complaint over the telephone by contacting us on 0843 122 2125.
      
      Your complaint will be acknowledged as soon as reasonably possibly and, in any event, within three (3) working days of receipt. We will carry out a full investigation (provided the complaint is made within six (6) months of the incident) and respond fully with our decision within ten (10) working days via your preferred method of contact. If your complaint is not made within six (6) months of the incident, we will do our best to investigate the complaint, but it may take longer to provide you with our decision.
      
      A formal record of the complaint will be kept in accordance with the Gambling Commission's reporting requirements. Details of your complaint, and the outcome, may be shared with the Gambling Commission.
       
   2. Stage Two
      
      If the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction at Stage One, the dispute will be escalated to Your Lottery Directors who will review the correspondence, the Stage One response and confirm in writing whether the original decision is upheld or changed.
       
   3. Stage Three
      
      As Your Lottery is a member of the Lotteries Council, your complaint will be referred to The Independent Betting Adjudication Service Limited (IBAS) whose details are set out below: We will do our utmost to ensure that your complaint is resolved within eight (8) weeks. However, it may take longer than this if you fail to engage with the complaints process in a timely manner.
       
4. Equal Opportunities
   
   In line with its equal opportunities and dignity at work policies, Your Lottery will take steps to ensure that this Policy is not used in a discriminatory manner and that no individual is unfairly targeted.
   
   Your Lottery will take steps to ensure that an individual's dignity is respected at all times.

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Appendix 1: Complaint Process Timescales

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Last reviewed and updated: February 2022