National Lottery achieves second highest annual sales, reaches over $ 10 billion

Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, an Allwyn company, has announced impressive sales figures for the 2022/23 financial year, making it the second-highest annual sales total since the launch of The National Lottery in 1994. 

With total sales amounting to £8.19 billion ($10.09 billion), the company has demonstrated its continued success in delivering for players and society. The remarkable performance also resulted in a record-breaking £1.8 billion return to Good Causes, providing crucial funding for projects across the UK.

One of the key contributors to the sales growth was the success of draw-based games, with sales reaching £4.74 billion, an increase of £91.9 million compared to the previous year. 

EuroMillions played a significant role in driving the sales growth, offering 30 draws with jackpots exceeding £100 million, which created excitement among players and boosted sales. Despite fewer "Must Be Won" draws, Lotto continued to perform steadily and created 134 new millionaires.

The National Lottery's digital platform played a pivotal role in achieving these impressive sales figures. With more than 10.7 million active registered online players, digital sales soared to a record-breaking £3.69 billion, a substantial increase of £274.2 million from the previous year. 

The convenience and accessibility of mobile play proved to be particularly popular, with tablets and smartphones contributing £2.76 billion to total digital sales. The National Lottery's app, which was downloaded 2.5 million times during the year, accounted for over 70% of all mobile sales.

In-store sales also showed signs of recovery, reaching £4.50 billion for the full year, despite challenging trading conditions. Camelot's commitment to supporting its National Lottery retail partners proved fruitful, as in-store standards and rewards programs helped boost retailers' income. 

Cash rewards totaling almost £540,000 were awarded to independent shopkeepers over the period, while the network of National Lottery retailers received £254.7 million in sales commission. Since its inception, the National Lottery has paid a staggering £7.70 billion in commission to retailers.

The National Lottery's impact on society cannot be understated, with £4.69 billion awarded in prize money during the 2022/23 financial year. This figure represents a significant increase of £81.7 million from the previous year and marks the second-highest amount awarded to players. The National Lottery's generosity also extended to creating 382 new millionaires, equivalent to more than one millionaire every day.

The commitment to supporting Good Causes remained unwavering, as £1.88 billion was generated over the period, including unclaimed prizes. 

These funds, which are passed to Good Causes after 180 days, bring the total raised for National Lottery projects since 1994 to an impressive £47 billion. With £36 million being raised each week for Good Cause projects around the UK, The National Lottery continues to make a significant impact on communities, especially during challenging times.

Camelot's co-chief executives, Clare Swindell, and Neil Brocklehurst, expressed their delight at the company's achievements, emphasizing their commitment to delivering the National Lottery in a safe and socially responsible manner. They also revealed their plans to keep the National Lottery at the forefront of people's minds and to foster a sense of unity during important national moments.

“We’re delighted to have grown National Lottery sales year-on-year to their second highest on record, creating almost 400 millionaires in the process,” Camelot co-chief executives Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst said. 

“This past year’s performance demonstrates the core strengths of the National Lottery in consistently delivering for good causes, even in an environment where consumer spending is under pressure,”  Chvátal said.

“We were delighted to integrate Camelot into the Allwyn group earlier this year, bringing their experience and know-how to Allwyn UK’s vision for the fourth licence.