Camelot reports record £7.9bn in National Lottery sales
National Lottery operator sees digital sales skyrocket and reaffirms support network for those impacted by Covid-19
Camelot’s UK National Lottery ticket sales have risen for a third consecutive year to reach a record £7.9bn in sales from April 2019 to March 2020.
The increase of £698m from the previous financial years marks a 9.7% rise in sales, with Camelot returning some £1.85bn to good causes, up 12% year-on-year.
Included in these charitable efforts is the National Lottery’s commitment to provide £600m in Covid-19 relief, which will see various UK charity funds boosted to support those in need during the pandemic.
Camelot chair Sir Hugh Robertson thanked the public for continuing to support the lottery’s charitable efforts.
Robertson said: “Hundreds of millions of pounds in vital funding has been repurposed to help those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic – providing much-needed aid for communities, grants for sport initiatives, and assistance for thousands of other projects that are in desperate need of funding during this time.
“Anyone who has bought a National Lottery ticket should know they’ve played their part in making this possible,” he added.
With this year’s results, Camelot has raised more than £41bn in good causes since launching the National Lottery in 1994.
Camelot has also seen its digital lottery channels continue to expand with more than 7.5 million active registered players on the National Lottery website. In total, digital sales exceeded £2bn for the first time with a 34% growth year-on-year.
Included in Camelot’s growing digital offering is its mobile app, which saw sales hit an all-time high of £1.6bn, with sales via mobile and tablet accounting for around 65% of all digital sales.
Camelot CEO Nigel Railton commented: “Three years on from our strategic review, we are seeing growth across all areas of the business. Crucially, our best-ever sales performance has delivered a £200m boost to good causes at a time when the UK needs it most.”
Railton was also optimistic about what the future holds for Camelot, despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
“With the ongoing uncertainty, the year ahead will inevitably be challenging. But I’m very confident that we’re in great shape to meet those challenges, and that we have the strong track record, creativity and determination required to continue generating vital funds for those who need it most in the UK,” he concluded.