Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q1 2022 to 2023
Income from game sales by quarter and versus last year. Represents Quarter 1 2022 to 2023.
Summary
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Funds raised for good causes
Published: August 2022
Reporting Period: Quarter 1, 2022 to 2023 (April to June)
Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £46 billion for good causes that include sports (including Olympic athletes), arts and heritage, as well as health, education and the environment.
Funds are raised from the sale of National Lottery games and supplemented by items such as unclaimed prizes. The funds for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
The Commission ensures that payments from the Lottery operator to good causes (which are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund) are accurate and on time.
Key facts
Total funds raised for good causes between Q1 2021 to 2022 and Q1 2022 to 20231
The chart shows the most recent quarter and the preceding four quarters for comparative purposes. For consistency, each week’s ending date must fall within the reporting quarter, therefore the number of weeks within the quarters may vary.
The total raised for good causes in Quarter 1 (April to June) was £422.9 million. This was £68.4 million (-13.9 percent) below Quarter 4 2021 to 2022 and £2.2 million (0.5 percent) above Quarter 1 in 2021 to 2022. The last 5 quarters have generated £2.3 billion to good causes.
| 2021 to 2022 Quarter 1 | 2021 to 2022 Quarter 2 | 2021 to 2022 Quarter 3 | 2021 to 2022 Quarter 4 | 2022 to 2023 Quarter 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount raised for good causes | £420.7 million | £418.4 million | £508.5 million | £491.3 million | £422.9 million |
Details
Funds raised for good causes this quarter were £68.4 million (-13.9 percent) below the previous quarter. However, they were £2.2 million (0.5 percent) above Quarter 1 2021 to 2022.
The decrease against Quarter 4 2021 to 2022 can be attributed to the following:
- total National Lottery sales decreased by £179.4 million (-8.7 percent) compared to Quarter 4 2021 to 2022. All games saw a decrease in sales except for EuroMillions. Most notably, Lotto sales decreased by £83.5 million (-15.9 percent) and sales from scratchcards decreased by £69.4 million (-11.4 percent) compared to the previous quarter
- total unclaimed prizes added as returns to good causes were around £29 million less than the previous quarter. This was primarily due to a number of scratchcard games being closed in Quarter 4 2021 to 2022, in line with the usual annual cycle.
Notes
1 Amounts relate to total value of proceeds from game sales raised for good causes in approximate calendar quarters. Quarter 1 of 2022 to 2023 comprises funds raised between the week ending 2 April to the week ending 25 June. They include all other income and adjustments from game sales, including unclaimed prizes.
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