The cost of running the UK’s gambling regulator has doubled in the past year as it prepares for a high-stakes legal showdown over the awarding of the National Lottery licence. Newly filed accounts show that the Gambling Commission’s costs linked to the National Lottery soared to £28.8m in the year to March, up from £14.4m the year before. The Commission’s work is partly funded through the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF), which channels money raised by ticket sales to good causes. Despite the turbulence, National Lottery sales rose last year thanks to record EuroMillions jackpots, including a €250m (£217m) prize in March. Overall, money raised for good causes rose by £100m to £1.8bn.