Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q2 2019 to 2020
Income from game sales by quarter and versus last year.
Summary
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Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £35 billion for good causes that include sports (including Olympic athletes and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games), arts and heritage, as well as health and education and the environment.
Funds are raised from the sale of National Lottery games and supplemented by unclaimed prizes and interest on balances of funds held. The funds for the original good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
The Commission ensures that payments from the Lottery operator to the good causes are accurate and on time.
Key facts
Total funds raised for good causes between Quarter 2 2018 to 2019 and Quarter 2 2019 to 20201
The following 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 the NLDF in Quarter 2 (July to September) was £460.9m. This was £72.7m (18.7%) above the April to June quarter (Q1) of 2019-20 and £35.1m (8.2%) above Quarter 2 in 2018 to 2019:
| 2018 to 2019 Quarter 2 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 3 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 4 |
2019 to 2020 Quarter 1 |
2019 to 2020 Quarter 2 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount raised for good causes | £425.8 million | £390.2 million | £442.7 million | £388.2 million | £460.9 million |
Details
The total for the second quarter of the 2019 to 2020 financial year was higher than that recorded in the first quarter and above the amount recorded for Quarter 2 of 2018 to 2019.
Performance in the second quarter of 2019 to 2020 versus Quarter 1 was as a result of the following:
- Substantially higher sales and returns from EuroMillions, whose jackpot rolled to a recent record level of over £169m at the end of the quarter.
- Higher sales and returns from Lotto in the quarter, with the jackpot rolling more frequently and four times to its ‘must be won’ level.
- Increased sales and returns from instant win games played online.
- Marketing investment from the NLDF of over £22m was much greater than in Quarter 1, thus the total for Quarter 2 (before these adjustments) would have been higher still.
Performance was better than in Quarter 2 of 2018 to 2019 due to:
- EuroMillions sales and returns up by over a third, with more rollovers than in the previous year.
- Strong Lotto sales and contributions despite one fewer rollover and lower overall jackpot values (due to the revised ‘must be won’ game rules in operation since Quarter 3 last year).
- Much higher sales and proceeds from instant win games played online.
- Once again, much higher comparative marketing investment drawn down from the NLDF.
- NB: The figures quoted above for Quarter 2 of 2018 to 2019 include 14 trading weeks2.
Notes
1 These amounts relate to the total value of proceeds from game sales raised for the NLDF in approximate calendar quarters. Quarter 2 of 2019 to 2020 includes funds raised from sales made between 1 July and 28 September 2019. Quarter 2 of 2018 to 2019 includes funds raised from sales made between 24 June and 29 September 2018. They include all other income and adjustments from game sales, including unclaimed prizes.
2 Excluding the additional week (ending 30 June 2018), the total for 2018 to 2019 would be £397.7m. On this basis, Quarter 2 of the current year would represent an increase of £63.2m (15.9%) on previous year.