Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q4 2020 to 2021: Official statistics
Funds raised for good causes Q4 2021.
Summary
Also published recently
Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £42billion 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 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 Q4 19/20 and Q4 20/21 - income from National Lottery game sales
The following table 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 Q4 (January to March) was £551.3m (1). This was £106.5m (23.9%) above the October to December quarter and £112.2m (25.6%) above Q4 in 19/20. The last five quarters have generated £2.3bn to good causes.
| Quarter | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 Quarter 4 |
£439.1 million |
| 2020 to 2021 Quarter 1 |
£382.3 million |
| 2020 to 2021 Quarter 2 |
£452.9 million |
| 2020 to 2021 Quarter 3 |
£444.8 million |
| 2020 to 2021 Quarter 4 |
£551.3 million |
Details
Funds raised for good causes this quarter were greater than both the previous quarter, and Q4 of the last year by £107m (24%) and £122m (26%) respectively.
The increase against Q3 can be attributed to the following:
National Lottery sales have risen by around £304m (14%) compared to Q3. Of particular significance were notable increases in sales from Lotto and EuroMillions this quarter against the last. EuroMillions sales were £475m in Q3 and £548m in Q4, an increase of around 13%.
Total unclaimed prizes added as funds to good causes were £25.6m more than the previous quarter, primarily 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.
Q4 of 20/21 comprises of funds raised between the week ending 2 January to the week ending 31 March. They include all other income and adjustments from game sales, including unclaimed prizes.