Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q2 2026 to 2027: Official statistics
Income from The National Lottery by quarter and versus last year. Represents Quarter 2 (July to September 2026) 2026 to 2027.
Summary
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Funds raised for good causes
Published: November 2026
Reporting Period: Quarter 2, 2026 to 2027 (July to September 2026)
Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £53 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)1.
Key facts
Total funds raised for Good Causes between Quarter 2 2025 to 2026 and Quarter 2 2026 to 20272
The chart shows the source of total payments to Good Causes due for the most recent quarter and the preceding 4 quarters for comparative purposes, distinguishing between Good Causes Contribution and other payments to Good Causes. The accompanying table provides the reported values for Good Causes Contribution and other payments to Good Causes and the total payment to Good Causes due for each quarter.
Good Causes Contribution is calculated in accordance with Schedule 5 of the Licence3. Other payments to Good Causes arise from unclaimed prizes, interest earned on Trust Accounts, and other miscellaneous payments.
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 payment to good causes due for Quarter 2 (July to September) 2026 to 2027 was £388.3 million. This was £11.1 million (2.9%) above Quarter 1 (April to June) 2026 to 2027 and £72.7million (15.8%) below Quarter 2 in 2025 to 2026. The last 4 quarters have generated over £1.6 billion for Good Causes.
| 2025 to 2026 Quarter 2 |
2025 to 2026 Quarter 3 |
2025 to 2026 Quarter 4 |
2026 to 2027 Quarter 1 |
2026 to 2027 Quarter 2 |
Good Causes Contribution | £402.9 million | £402.3 million | £403.8 million | £358.4 million | £336.9 million | Other payments to Good Causes | £58.1 million | £8.5 million | £42.9 million | £18.9 million | £51.4 million | Total payment to Good Causes due for the quarter | £460.9 million | £410.8 million | £446.7 million | £377.2 million | £388.3 million |
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Details
The total payment to Good Causes due for Quarter 2 2026 to 2027 was £11.1 million (2.9%) higher than Quarter 1 2026 to 2027, and £72.7 million (15.8%) lower than Quarter 2 2025 to 2026.
Total payments to Good Causes include Good Causes Contribution and other payments to Good Causes.
Good Causes Contribution is made up of a fixed contribution from the Licensee and a proportion of the Surplus (being the revenue generated by the Licensee after deduction of the Licensee’s Costs, subject to specified adjustments).
The increase in total payments to Good Causes compared to the previous quarter was driven by higher other payments to Good Causes, which offset the decrease in Good Causes Contribution.
Unclaimed prize payments are included in other payments to Good Causes. These happen throughout the year, from all games, where a prize has not been claimed within 180 days. Quarter 2 and Quarter 4 generally experience larger payments as a result of scratchcard game closures.
Good Causes Contribution decreased, reflecting a reduction in National Lottery sales during the quarter. Total National Lottery sales in Quarter 2 2026 to 2027 decreased by £121.5 million (6.6%) compared to Quarter 1 2026 to 2027. Sales were lower across all existing games, with the largest reductions in EuroMillions and Lotto. These decreases were partially offset by sales from the newly launched Powerball game.
When compared to Quarter 2 2025 to 2026, total sales decreased by £264.6 million (13.4%), primarily due to lower EuroMillions, Lotto and Interactive Instant Win Games sales. Historical National Lottery sales figures, together with information on total sales, prizes and expenses, are available in the Industry Statistics publication.
Notes
1 Information on how NLDF are distributed to good causes is available on the National Lottery Distribution Fund website (opens in new tab).
2 Amounts relate to total value of proceeds from game sales and other income and adjustments, including unclaimed prizes. Amounts reported above relate to the total payment to good causes due for the Quarter, with the week ending date used to determine the quarter in which they fall. Note, each of the 5 reported quarters cover a 13-week period.
3 Good Causes Contribution is made up of a fixed contribution from the Licensee and a proportion of the Surplus (being the revenue generated by the Licensee after deduction of the Licensee’s Costs, subject to specified adjustments).
Figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million. Totals and changes are calculated using unrounded data and may not sum due to rounding.
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