The UK Gambling Commission has revealed that in the second quarter the National Lottery raised over £500m in total funds for good causes.
Funds raised from the sale of National Lottery games and supplements by items, such as unclaimed prizes, in the fiscal year’s Q2 (July to September) came in at £501.8m, 18.7 per cent (£78.9m) above the preceding quarter.
In addition, its period’s total also came in higher than its Q2 showing one year earlier, which stood at £418.4m, representing a 19.9 per cent (£83.4m) increase.
In the UKGC’s publication, the increase against Q1 was attributed to the total National Lottery sales increasing by £266.7m (14.1 per cent) compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year.
Furthermore, all games witnessed an increase in sales – most noticeably, EuroMillion sales increased by £140.7m (31.1 per cent). This, the UKGC stated, was partly driven by the volume of rollovers associated with high jackpots.
Alongside the aforementioned increases, sales from interactive instant win games and scratchcards also experienced growth by around £40m each (15.6 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively) compared to the previous quarter.
Total unclaimed prizes added as returns to good causes were around £13.6m more than the previous quarter. This was primarily due to scratchcard game closures.
Over the last five quarters, the National Lottery has generated approximately £2.3bn in total funds to good causes.
Since its launch in November 1994, the Lottery has raised over £46bn for good causes that include sports (such as Olympic athletes), arts and heritage, as well as health, education and the environment.
The funds for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund. The Gambling Commission ensures that payments from the Lottery operator to good causes are accurate and on time.
Management of the Lottery is due to change hands soon, after Camelot – the company which has operated the products since inception in 1994 – was beaten in the last licence contest by pan-European company Allwyn.
Good causes funding was a key topic of discussion throughout the contest, which was conducted by the UKGC, with Allwyn enhancing the contribution and scope of the funding as a cornerstone of its bid.
