Lottery to Win a Baby Sparks Controversy in Britain

A new lottery in the U.K. offering contestants the chance to “win a baby” through expensive in-vitro fertilization treatments is causing a stir.

The sweepstakes, run by the fertility charity To Hatch and set to launch this month, is drawing criticism by some ethical and medical groups who say it is “demeaning,” Reuters reports.

For $32 a ticket, winners can win $25,000 of personalized fertility treatments at one of Great Britain's top five facilities. Individuals and couples, straight, gay or elderly are eligible for this prize.

Also included in this prize is a stay at a luxury hotel, and a chauffeur-driven ride to the treatment facility. They also will be given the option of reproductive surgery, donor eggs and sperm or a surrogate birth if the standard IVF fails.

Some ethical and medical groups in Britain are outraged at this lottery. Britain's fertility regulator, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, said that this lottery was "wrong and entirely inappropriate," adding in a statement: "It trivializes what is for many people a central part of their lives," Reuters reported.

The founder and chair of the charity, Camille Strachan, told Reuters she wanted to create the "ultimate wish list" for those who are unable to conceive children.

The Gambling Commission commented that it "noted reaction to the scheme, but said it had no regulatory powers to intervene and that any decision to revoke a license would be a government one," reported Reuters.

The lottery launches on July 30, and a lucky potential parent will be chosen every month.