Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q4 2018 to 2019
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 4 2017 to 2018 and Quarter 4 2018 to 20191
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 4 (January to March) was £442.7m. This was £52.5m (13.5%) above the October to December quarter (Q3) and £15.7m (3.7%) above Quarter 4 in 2017 to 2018:
| 2017 to 2018 Quarter 4 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 1 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 2 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 3 |
2018 to 2019 Quarter 4 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount raised for good causes | £427.0 million | £362.1 million | £425.8 million | £390.2 million | £442.7 million |
Details
The total for the fourth quarter of the current financial year was well above that recorded in the third quarter and also above the amount recorded for Quarter 4 of 2017 to 2018.
Performance in the fourth quarter of 2018 to 2019 versus the third quarter was as a result of the following:
- Higher sales and proceeds from Lotto, EuroMillions and instant win games (scratchcards and interactive instant win games)
- Income from unclaimed prizes in Quarter 4 was £37.0m, 17% higher than Quarter 3’s £31.6m
- A greater number of trading days in the quarter (13 whole weeks plus one day versus 13 weeks in Quarter 3)
- Marketing investment in games by the NLDF was twice that seen in Quarter 3.
Performance versus Quarter 4 of 2017 to 2018 was better due to:
- Stronger sales and contributions from Lotto, EuroMillions and instant win games
- Significantly higher unclaimed prize receipts (£37.0m versus £20.5m)
- Total receipts were offset, in part, by higher marketing investment spend in 2018-19
Notes
1 These amounts relate to the total value of proceeds from game sales raised for the NLDF in approximate calendar quarters. Quarter 4 of 2018 to 2019 includes funds raised from sales made between 30 December 2018 and 31 March 2019. They include all other income and adjustments from game sales, including unclaimed prizes.