The United Kingdom’s National Lottery witnessed a record-breaking surge in sales, reaching an unprecedented £40.6 billion in the initial six months of the 2022-23 fiscal period.
Camelot, the entity responsible for operating the UK Lottery, declared that this remarkable expansion was fueled by a robust digital performance.
Total sales, spanning from April 1 to September 24, exhibited a 2.6% increase compared to the previous year, marking a historic milestone for the National Lottery, as sales surpassed the £40 billion threshold for the first time in its 28-year existence.
Lottery games continue to reign supreme in popularity, generating £24 billion in revenue during the first half of the fiscal year, representing a 7.5% year-on-year surge. Camelot emphasized the exceptional performance of EuroMillions, driven by substantial jackpots, including the £184 million prize awarded in May.
While Lotto sales also demonstrated commendable performance, despite a reduction in the number of sales-driven “must-win” draws during the period, sales of scratchcards and online instant win games experienced a 3.7% decline year-on-year, settling at £16.7 billion. This downturn was primarily attributed to a decrease in in-store scratchcard sales, coinciding with a reduction in foot traffic and shopping trips.
Delving deeper into the digital performance, overall online sales witnessed a significant 13.0% growth in the first half of the year, reaching a record-breaking £18.4 billion for the National Lottery.
Mobile sales exhibited a remarkable 19.0% year-on-year increase, reaching £1 billion.
Camelot declared that their £37 billion income demonstrates the consistent expansion of mobile purchasing. The operator also highlighted that they effectively attracted 1.1 million new online users in the previous six months, expanding their total digital customer base to 10.7 million.
In the retail sector, overall sales decreased by 4.7% to £2.23 billion due to ongoing difficulties faced by physical stores. This trend is attributed to declining foot traffic in some industries, and consumers choosing to shop less frequently, opting to buy more goods at once for better prices, rather than making frequent small purchases.
Despite this, Camelot emphasizes that retail remains the National Lottery’s primary sales channel, with a sales network of over 44,500 retail partners.
It is noteworthy that the amount allocated to “good causes” in the initial six months of the year reached £956.5 million, the highest total for the first half of a financial year. This figure represents an 8.1% increase compared to the same period last year, signifying that the total amount raised for good causes since the National Lottery’s launch in 1994 has now surpassed £47 billion.
Furthermore, Camelot stated that the National Lottery distributed £2.3 billion in prizes to participants in the first half of the year, creating 169 new millionaires, including the three largest winners in British history, all of whom won on the EuroMillions lottery: £195 million, £184 million, and £171 million.
“I am pleased that these record results show that the National Lottery is giving back to good causes more than ever before,” said Sir Hugh Robertson, Chairman of Camelot.
During these tough economic times, I am pleased with the team’s excellent performance, building on record lottery sales and charitable contributions in recent years and continuing our strong history of serving the British public.
As the next round of licensing terms begin in less than a year, I am confident that the National Lottery has never been in a stronger position.
This week, the news of record sales came alongside the agreement for Allwyn Entertainment to purchase Camelot UK Lotteries, replacing them as the National Lottery operator.
Under the agreement, Camelot UK’s current owner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP), will become a fully owned subsidiary of Allwyn.
Financial details of the deal have not been revealed, but an earlier report by Sky News (when negotiations were confirmed last month) suggested the acquisition could be worth as much as £1 billion.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval, including final approval from the UK Gambling Commission.
Allwyn is expected to take over the operation of the National Lottery in February 2024, with the third license expiring on January 31 of that year. Allwyn officially won the fourth National Lottery license in September, ending Camelot’s 28-year rule.