Statistics and research release
Funds raised for good causes Q4 2023 to 2024: Official statistics
Income from game sales by quarter and versus last year. Represents Quarter 4 2023 to 2024.
Summary
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Funds raised for good causes
Published: May 2024
Reporting Period: Quarter 4, 2023 to 2024 (January to March)1
Since its launch in November 1994, the National Lottery has raised over £48 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).
Key facts
Total funds raised for good causes between Quarter 4 2022 to 2023 and Quarter 4 2023 to 20242
The 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 Quarter 4 (January to March) 2023 to 2024 was £449.0 million. This was £49.0 million (12.25 percent) above Quarter 3 (October to December) 2023 to 2024 and £16.5 million (3.8 percent) above Quarter 4 in 2022 to 2023. The last 5 quarters have generated £2.1 billion to good causes.
| 2022 to 2023 Quarter 4 |
2023 to 2024 Quarter 1 |
2023 to 2024 Quarter 2 |
2023 to 2024 Quarter 3 |
2023 to 2024 Quarter 4 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount raised for good causes | £432.5 million | £411.3 million | £441.5 million | £400.0 million | £449.0 million |
Details
Funds raised for good causes in Quarter 4 2023 to 2024 were £49.0 million (12.2 percent) higher than Quarter 3 2023 to 2024, and £16.5 million (3.8 percent) higher than Quarter 4 2022 to 2023. The increase in returns to good causes compared to the previous quarter can largely be attributed to £50.4 million received from unclaimed prizes during this quarter, which was primarily driven by scratchcard game closures.
Total National Lottery sales decreased by £26.8 million (1.4 percent) compared to Quarter 3 2023 to 2024, primarily due to a decline in Scratchcards sales of £23.6 million (-4.0 percent). When compared to Quarter 4 2022 to 2023, total sales experienced an increase of £5.5 million (0.3 percent).
It is important to note the context of Quarter 4 2023 to 2024 reporting period being a week longer than the comparative reporting periods (14 weeks vs 13 weeks).
Notes
1This reporting period covers across the final month of the Third National Lottery Licence (January) and the first two months of the Fourth National Lottery Licence (February to March).
2Amounts relate to total value of proceeds from game sales and other income and adjustments, including unclaimed prizes, raised for good causes. For clarity Quarter 4 of 2023 to 2024 comprises of funds raised over a 14-week period (week ending 6 January to week ending 30 March). Quarter 3 2023 to 2024 and Quarter 4 2022 to 2023 both comprises funds raised over a 13-week period respectively.
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