Jowell launches Olympic lottery game

Wednesday, 27 July 2005 12:00 AM

An Olympic lottery game to help raise funds for London's 2012 games has been launched today by sports minister Tessa Jowell.

It is hoped the new scratch card will raise millions of pounds to be put towards new infrastructure for the Olympics, as well as continued promotion of the event.

Today's unveiling marks the start of the seven-year period until the Olympics opening ceremony, and Ms Jowell acknowledged that funding initiatives would need to begin as soon as possible to meet the future deadlines.

More than £1.5 billion of lottery money has been earmarked for Olympic expenses and the new scratch card is expected to provide about £750 million of that amount.

"It is important that we launch the game now in order that we build up the income stream that will be able to fund the development of the new infrastructure, the sporting infrastructure, the venues that will host the games in seven years' time," Ms Jowell told Today.

Shadow sports minister Hugh Robertson welcomed today's announcement, but urged the government to set aside the tax raised from the scratch cards either to pay for the games or for schemes to encourage young athletes in the future.

"I am delighted to see the new scratch card has been launched. However, the government should resist the temptation to pocket the extra £320 million it will raise in tax from the game," he said.

"If the government wants to give its full support to the Olympics and to British sport, it should use this money either as a reserve fund to protect London's council taxpayers from footing the bill for any overspend from 2012 or to create a legacy fund to encourage young athletes."

Ms Jowell, who was appointed Olympics minister shortly after London won the right to hold the games in 2012, insisted this morning that despite the recent bombings, "London and the UK are open for business".

She confirmed that security was a major issue for planners of the games but said that more than £200 million of funding had been set aside to ensure the safety of all the venues.

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