New lottery could see Powys residents win £25k
A cash-strapped authority could become the first in Wales to set up its own lottery in a bid to raise money for good causes in the county.
Powys County Council's budget position has been well highlighted in recent months, with overspends and budgets being missed, alongside a cut in funding from the Welsh Government.
The lack of funds available could lead to a dip in the amount the council is able to give out to good causes and charities.
In a bid to tackle this, leader Rosemarie Harris has proposed the authority creates a local authority lottery, which could see around £60,000 per year raised for good causes.
No lottery has been launched by other Welsh authorities, however English councils have gone into partnership with an external lottery manager, Gatherwell.
The organisation helps run the lottery, which could see people win up to £25,000.
A report that is set to go before the council's cabinet next week, states the authority would have to pay an initial set up cost of £5,000, followed by an annual gambling licence of £348, and a £350 fee for lottery membership.
There would also be a £275 application cost in the first year.
The whole scheme would be run by the external lottery manager, with the council not having to promote or be involved with running the lottery.
The lottery will see tickets available online for £1, and each ticket has a one-in-50 chance of winning.
Players can then chose to support a central fund, or a specific good cause, and prizes will range form free tickets to a maximum prize of £25,000, with draws taking place every Saturday.
Under the scheme 60 per cent of all sales would go to good causes, compared to 28 per cent in the National Lottery.
Councillor Harris said: "There is very little financial risk to Powys County Council, as once the lottery is up and running, all costs are met through income from ticket sales.
"Should the lottery fail, the only loss to the council would be start-up costs, licence fee, and Lottery Council membership fee, approximately £6,300.
"The ELM has insurance for the jackpot prize, protecting the lottery from financial difficulty in the event of one or more jackpot winners."
Other options have been tabled, including running a lottery in house, however the report states it would require staffing and the purchasing of software systems.
