The total raised for good causes by the National Lottery in the financial year, as reported by the Gambling Commission, was slightly more than £1.83bn, which was the amount raised in 2020-21.
In the fourth quarter of the financial year, a total of £491.3m was raised for good causes. This figure represents a decrease of 3.4% from the previous quarter and 10.9% from the same quarter of the previous year.
The decline in funds raised during the quarter can primarily be attributed to lower sales. National Lottery sales experienced a decrease of 0.8% quarter-on-quarter, reaching £2.15bn. This decline in sales is primarily due to a lower number of EuroMillions rollovers, leading to a 22.8% decrease in sales from that specific brand, which amounted to £425m.
Additionally, the total unclaimed prizes returned to good causes also saw a decline of approximately £10m quarter-on-quarter.
Recent news revealed that the Gambling Commission has chosen Allwyn (formerly the Sazka Group) to operate the National Lottery, marking the first time a business other than Camelot will run the lottery. The transition is set to take place in February 2024. However, Camelot has issued a legal challenge against this decision, with Camelot CEO Nigel Railton stating, “We firmly believe that the Gambling Commission has got this decision badly wrong.”
