Gaming

Share dealings have today opened in Chariot (UK) plc, a new venture which intends to run an online lottery to raise funds for charities.

Before being admitted to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), operated by the London Stock Exchange, Chariot had raised £9.6 million (gross), resulting in an approximate market capitalisation of £18 million at the placing price.

The annual RHS Winter Raffle has raised over £290,000 for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity.

Winning prizes were £3,000, £1,500 and a life's membership of the RHS worth £975.

Epilepsy Action has launched its annual Christmas raffle with a brand new car as the star prize.

The raffle coincides with the release of the charity's new Christmas Catalogue, which sells Christmas essentials such as cards and advent calendars, as well as Epilepsy Action merchandise.

TLC Lottery, one of Britain's biggest charity lotteries, is launching a 'play as you pay' scheme to companies, with the public support of the Director General of the CBI.

In a speech to more than 100 business and union leaders, Sir Digby Jones will endorse TLC's plans to encourage companies and their employees to take part in the weekly lottery through regular, small donations.

TLC Lottery today launched a work-based scheme, unique in Britain, that allows employees to both play a lottery and choose which charities benefit from the money raised.

Employees in participating firms will be invited to play the weekly lottery, at £1 a go, paid straight from their wages.

The Department of Finance in the Irish Republic is inviting applications for compensation from groups which run charitable lotteries. The Charitable Lotteries Fund was set up in 1997 to provide funds from the proceeds of the National Lottery to supplement the income of private charitable lotteries whose products are competing with the National Lottery.

The decision six months ago, by TLC's owner charities, to open up the independent scheme has led to significant growth in the number or organisations benefiting from funding generated by the lottery.

The Birmingham-based lottery, has raised more than £1.7 million since its creation in 1997. It currently has over 16,000 players each week.

The national umbrella organisations that represent the voluntary and community sector have called for reform of the 12% tax on the National Lottery.

The Irish postal service, An Post, has denied that they have put on a special van delivery to carry 'begging' letters to Euro lottery winner Dolores McNamara's home near Limerick. Dolores won ‚€115, 436, 126 on 29th July, the biggest payout ever from the Euro lottery game.

Former Republic of Ireland soccer star Niall Quinn is leading the pack in a charity trading game. The trading game, Delta Index Fantasy Financial Spread Betting Challenge, will donate ‚€1000 to a charity of choice to celebrities taking part in the virtual game.