Privacy policy
How SAFE collects, uses and protects your personal information.
Last updated: 29 October 2026
1. Who we are
SAFE is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Scottish Charity No. SC050592, Gayfield, Edinburgh EH1 3NW. We are the controller of the personal data described in this policy, under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Contact us about your data at [email protected] or by post at the address above.
2. What we collect
- Lottery players: name, title, date of birth, address, email, phone (optional), lottery numbers, payment status and history, spending limits, pause and self-exclusion records, prize payments, and the results of age and identity checks.
- Donors: name, email, address and postcode (for Gift Aid), donation amounts and frequency, Gift Aid declarations and any tribute you add.
- People who contact us: name, email and the content of your message.
- People we support: contact details and information needed to arrange training and support, which we collect directly from you and explain at the time.
Payments are taken by our payment provider. We do not store full card numbers.
3. Why we use it and our lawful basis
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Running the lottery, entering you into draws, taking payments and paying prizes | Contract |
| Checking age, identity and address; keeping lottery records and returns to the licensing authority | Legal obligation, and our legitimate interest in preventing under-age play and fraud |
| Applying spending limits, pauses and self-exclusions, and contacting players where we have wellbeing concerns | Legal obligation and legitimate interests (protecting players from gambling harm) |
| Processing donations and claiming Gift Aid | Contract and legal obligation |
| Replying to enquiries and complaints | Legitimate interests |
| Publishing winners' first names and towns | Consent |
| Sending email updates about our work | Consent |
4. Who we share it with
We never sell or swap your data. We share it only with organisations that help us run our services, under contracts that protect it: our payment and Direct Debit providers, our age and identity verification provider, our email and secure data storage providers, and HMRC for Gift Aid claims. We may also share information where the law requires, for example with the licensing authority, regulators or the police.
5. How long we keep it
- Lottery records, including draw records and prize payments: 6 years after your last entry.
- Self-exclusion records: for the length of the exclusion plus 6 years, so we can honour it.
- Gift Aid records: 6 years after the end of the tax year of the last donation.
- Enquiries: 2 years after our last contact, unless they become part of a complaint.
- Marketing consents: until you withdraw them.
6. Your rights
You have the right to access your personal data, to have it corrected, to have it deleted or restricted in some circumstances, to object to processing based on legitimate interests, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. To use these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to resolve your concern first.
7. Security
We use secure, access-controlled systems and limit access to people who need it. Volunteers who handle personal data are briefed on data protection and confidentiality.
8. Children
The SAFE Lottery is for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect lottery data from anyone under 18; if we discover we have, we close the account, refund payments and delete the data except what we must keep to show we acted correctly.
9. Changes to this policy
We will post any changes on this page. If changes are significant, we will tell lottery players and donors by email.