European lottery sales hold back global growth
Ticket sales in Europe decline by 2% in 2013 as Asia Pacific and Latin America both post double-digit growth
Worldwide lottery sales grew by 4.9% in 2013, despite a sluggish performance from European-based operators which collectively posted a 2.1% decline across the 12-month period.
The full-year report, published by the World Lottery Association (WLA), said the Euro operators, which include Sweden’s Svenska Spel, the UK’s Camelot and Greece’s OPAP, were all impacted by external economic factors.
The global growth rate of 4.9% represents a year-on-year fall in growth after 2012 saw the market increase by 7.7%. The market reached a high-point in 2011 after it recorded growth of 13.1%. The report differentiate between online and off-line growth.
Sales at OPAP fell particularly sharply in the first half of 2013, contracting by 15.1% year-on-year, however, its performance improved in the second half of the year in line with an improving economy.
The Czech Republic’s SAZKA sázková kanceláÅ, a.s. proved the exception to the general trends in Europe, after its sales soared by 25.6% in FY 2013.
The decline in Europe was more than offset by positive performances in Asia Pacific and Latin America, which saw sales growth of 13.1% and 21.4% respectively.
Growth in Latin America was boosted by Argentina’s LoterÃa Nacional Sociedad del Estado, which reported an increase in sales of almost a third (31.4%).
North American lotteries posted an increase of 2.1%, helped along by the efforts of the California Lottery, which boasted year-on-year increase in sales of 8.8%. Results in Africa were relatively flat.
The WLA reports on aggregated sales figures from thirty-five lotteries, covering some 60% of world lottery sales by sales volume.