During the 12 months ending on 31 March 2022, the National Lottery reported a basic primary contribution of £1.80 billion. However, £71.6 million of this amount was drawn down during the year and £14.3 million was discounted due to permitted VAT recovery, funding for the National Lottery Promotions Unit, interest received on primary contributions, and recovery of interest charges on EuroMillions funds held in trust.
After deducting these amounts, the primary contributions payable to good causes amounted to £1.72 billion, representing a slight decrease of 0.6% compared to the previous year (2020-21). However, when considering £111.1 million in unclaimed prizes and £12.2 million in other miscellaneous payments, such as secondary contributions, payments for lost and stolen scratchcards, financial penalties, and ancillary activities, the final figure reached £1.84 billion.
Breaking down the total by quarter, the opening quarter of the 2021-22 financial year accounted for £420.7 million, followed by £418.4 million in Q2, £508.5 million in Q3, and £491.3 million in the fourth quarter.
The funds for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund, and the Gambling Commission ensures the accurate and timely disbursement of payments from the Lottery operator. Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £46.0 billion for various causes, including sports, arts and heritage, as well as health, education, and the environment.
Recent news comes in the context of the Court of Appeal granting permission to Camelot Group and International Game Technology (IGT) to appeal the decision to award the fourth UK National Lottery license to Allwyn Entertainment. This decision signifies a potential end to Camelot’s 28-year tenure as the UK’s lottery operator. The Gambling Commission had named Allwyn as its preferred applicant for the license in March, with Camelot named as the reserve applicant.
In response to this development, Camelot launched a High Court challenge in April, questioning the lawful award of the license to Allwyn by the Commission. This resulted in the suspension of the formal issuing of the lottery license to Allwyn. Although the High Court lifted the suspension in June, the legal challenge continued, prompting both Camelot and IGT to take their case to the Court of Appeal. Recently, the Court of Appeal granted permission to appeal, resulting in the automatic suspension being reinstated until the appeal proceedings conclude. The appeal hearing is expected to take place during the week of 12 September.
