Camelot lauds National Lottery sales growth to £8.2bn

Camelot UK has reported total National Lottery sales of £8.2bn for the financial year 2022/23, marking the second-highest annual sales total in its corporate history. 

The sales result reflected an increase of £96m, as prize money awarded to customers reached £4.69bn, creating 382 new millionaires and replicating the second-highest results achieved by Camelot UK.

Lottery duty and retailer commissions saw Camelot raise £3.11bn for good causes, in which the outgoing licence holder underlined that approximately £36m per week was raised for social and local community projects across the UK, which received a total £1.87bn in funding.

Camelot Co-CEOs, Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst, said: “With £36 million being raised each week for Good Cause projects around the UK and returns from ticket sales rising to their best-ever level, it’s clear that The National Lottery is delivering for players and society in what are very challenging times.

“We have more exciting plans lined up for the year ahead to ensure that The National Lottery remains front of mind and brings people together at key national moments. And, we also remain committed to delivering the National Lottery in a safe and socially-responsible way. All while we continue to support Allwyn UK on its transition plans to the fourth licence, from 1 February 2024.”

A breakdown of segments saw National Lottery ticket sales alone generate £1.8bn for good causes, £6.2m higher than in the previous year.  Overall sales of draw-based games rose to £4.74bn led by the strong customer engagement with EuroMillions jackpots.

Digital sales increased to a record high of £3.7bn, accounting for 45% of total sales, driven by over 10.7m million active registered online players. Mobile sales, contributing to digital sales, increased by £311m, of which the National Lottery app accounted for over 70% of all mobile sales.

Of significance, the National Lottery overcame retail concerns on the cost-of-living crisis, as retail sales recovered slightly in the second half of the year to reach £4.5bn.

2022/2023 saw National Lottery cultural initiatives take centre stage with the British public, including The National Lottery’s Big Jubilee Street Party, Christmas campaign, and The National Lottery’s Big Bash.

Currently, the management of Camelot operations is transitioning to Allwyn UK, which will serve as National Lottery steward from 2024 onwards.

Robert Chvátal, CEO Allwyn AG, commented on Camelot’s performance: “This past year’s performance demonstrates the core strengths of The National Lottery in consistently delivering for Good Causes, even in an environment where consumer spending is under pressure.

“We were delighted to integrate Camelot into the Allwyn group earlier this year, bringing their experience and know-how to Allwyn UK’s vision for the fourth licence. It is great to be working with them on the successful delivery of The National Lottery through this year and over the next decade as part of the Allwyn team, while maintaining a steadfast focus on safe play.”