Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q3 2021 to 2022
Income from game sales by quarter and versus last year.
Summary
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Funds raised for good causes
Published: January 2022
Reporting Period: Quarter 3, 2021 to 2022 (October to December 2021)
Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £45 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 Q3 2020 to 2021 and Q3 2021 to 20221
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 good causes in Q3 (October to December) was £508.5M. This was £90.1M (21.5%) above Q2 21/22 and £63.6M (14.3%) above Q3 in 20/21. The last 5 quarters have generated £2.3bn to good causes.
| 2020 to 2021 Quarter 3 |
2020 to 2021 Quarter 4 |
2021 to 2022 Quarter 1 |
2021 to 2022 Quarter 2 |
2021 to 2022 Quarter 3 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount raised for good causes | £444.8 million | £551.3 million | £420.7 million | £418.4 million | £508.5 million |
Details
Funds raised for good causes this quarter were £90.1m above the previous quarter (21.5%), and £63.6m (14.3%) above Q3 2020/21.
The increase against Q2 21/22 can be attributed to the following:
- National Lottery sales increased by around £129.4m (6.6%) compared to Q2 2021/22. This was largely driven by an increase in EuroMillions sales of £153.2m (38.8%), partly attributed to an increased number of rollovers and promotional events
- total unclaimed prizes added as returns to good causes are around £38m more than the previous quarter, this was mainly due to scratchcard game closures.
Notes
1 Amounts relate to total value of proceeds from game sales raised for good causes in approximate calendar quarters. Q3 of 21/22 comprises funds raised between the week ending 2 October to the week ending 25 December. They include all other income and adjustments from game sales, including unclaimed prizes.
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