EuroMillions tickets sold over the last five years
Request
I would like to know the number of EuroMillions tickets sold over the last five years. Please provide the information in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, with total sales broken down per month. If that data isn't available by month, please break it down by calendar year.
If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested the number of EuroMillions tickets sold over the last five years. Please provide the information in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, with total sales broken down per month. If that data isn’t available by month, please break it down by calendar year.
Please see the attached spreadsheet containing information falling within the scope of your request for draws between 1st January 2021 and 29th December 2025. Please note, sales information has been provided for UK sales only and has been provided in Pounds (£). The EuroMillions ticket price during this period has remained at £2.50.
We can confirm that the Commission does hold sales information from January 2026 onwards. However, we consider this information to be of a commercially sensitive nature and therefore exempt under section 43 of the FOIA.
Section 43 – Commercially Sensitive
Section 43(1) provides an exemption from disclosure for information which is a trade secret. A trade secret is the property of its owner.
To be a trade secret, information should:
- be secret, in the sense that it is not generally known among, or readily accessible to, people within the circles that normally deal with that kind of information;
- have a commercial value, because it is secret. Its disclosure should also be liable to cause real (or significant) harm to the owner or be advantageous to any rivals; and
- be subject to reasonable steps under the circumstances, taken by the owner, to keep it secret.
The information requested focuses on Allwyn’s sales data and therefore, in their view, constitutes a trade secret.
Based on the nature of the information requested and the definition outlined above, the Commission’s view is that this exemption is engaged. Section 43(1) is a class-based exemption and therefore there is no additional requirement to consider whether its disclosure would result in harm or prejudice, for us to engage the exemption.
Section 43(2) then exempts information whose disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any legal person (an individual, a company, the public authority itself or any other legal entity). A commercial interest relates to a legal person’s ability to participate competitively in a commercial activity.
The Commission views that the disclosure of the sales data would, or would likely to be, prejudicial to Allwyn, the Commission and / or the National Lottery itself.
With the recency of the figures, given the operator has not yet reported formally on the period from January 2026 onwards, the release of such information at this time could be damaging to the operator’s commercial interests as the release of sales figures, in isolation, without appropriate context and explanation of overall sales performance leaves them open to misinterpretation.
The Commission considers that the public interest in disclosing this information is outweighed by the wider public interest in protecting the commercial interests of Allwyn, the Commission and the National Lottery. This is partly influenced by the fact that the information requested is due to be published in at least some form by Allwyn via its Annual Report and Accounts.
Our full public interest consideration for the section 43(1) and section 43(2) exemptions is set out below.
Public interest test
The factors the Commission has considered when applying the public interest test have been detailed below and our view is that the public interest lies in favour of applying the exemption.
In favour of disclosure
The Gambling Commission is the statutory body responsible for awarding licences to run the National Lottery.
As such, there is a public interest in members of the public having confidence that the Commission and Allwyn are being open and honest with the information it holds so that we can be held to account.
It is important that the public are assured that the Commission is carrying out its functions in ensuring that the successful applicant awarded the licence to run the National Lottery and therefore providing the facility to partake in the National Lottery to the public, is upholding the statutory obligations associated with the National Lottery.
Disclosure may encourage stakeholders to work with us and contribute to this programme of work, increasing confidence in the Commission as a regulator and its ability to uphold the law.
In favour of maintaining the exemption
Disclosure of recent sales statistics could create an opportunity for other market participants to adapt their future commercial behaviour and strategies on the basis of information which is not in the public domain. This could impact competitive market dynamics to the detriment of The National Lottery and consequently, negatively impact on Allwyn’s ability to meet its Good Causes forecasts.
We also consider that disclosing the information at this point in time could discourage licensees from providing information to the Commission in future, which would likely prejudice the Commission’s ability to monitor and regulate the National Lottery. This is particularly relevant on the basis that the information requested is due to be published in at least some form by Allwyn via its Annual Report and Accounts.
Weighing the balance
Whilst the Commission aims to be open and transparent, there is a need to preserve the confidentiality of information submitted on that basis and to be mindful of the commercial sensitivities of information that is held.
Looking at all the circumstances of the case and the nature of the request, there is more than a 50% chance that prejudice would be likely to be caused to one or more of the parties by disclosure. Public knowledge of the information requested is unlikely to contribute to a proper understanding of the performance of the National Lottery and would potentially cause prejudice to Allwyn, the Commission, and the National Lottery itself.
In order to be of further assistance, we can advise that the last 6 months of data, at any given time, for jackpot amounts can be found on the National Lottery website: EuroMillions draw history | Results | The National Lottery (national-lottery.co.uk) (opens in a new tab)
Review of the decision
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email.
Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.
If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission.
It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.
The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission
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