Camelot UK is reaping the benefits of the organisation’s digital transformation, helping the UK National Lottery generate a record £7.91bn in total ticket sales – with £1.85bn handed out to good causes – over the past 12 months.
Overall sales in the 12 months to 31 March 2020 were up 9.7% from £7.21bn the previous year, with investment in digital channels leading to record online sales of £2.46bn, up 34.0% on last year.
Camelot also noted that with 7.5 million active registered players, the National Lottery site is Europe’s largest online lottery in terms of sales.
Retail sales remain the biggest source of income for Camelot and the National Lottery up 1.4% to £5.45bn.
Over the course of the year, £4.51bn was awarded as prizes to players, up £376.5m on the previous year, creating 355 new millionaires in the process. This included awarding £170m EuroMillions jackpot to a player in October 2019. Some £56.6m was spent on marketing; Adam & Eve DDB, Iris and Vizeum handle the account.
Camelot said that when combined with Lottery Duty it pays to the Government, and the commission earned by its retail partners, it returns around 95% of all sales revenue to winners and society.
Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said: “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 also pointed out that the National Lottery launched a support package worth up to £600m for charities and organisations negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, backed by a major ad campaign (pictured).
He added: “Like many businesses, Camelot has seen disruption as a result of the pandemic – particularly in retail. But, thanks to a combination of the foundations we’ve laid over the last three years and some urgent interventions to respond to the current situation, our sales are currently proving resilient.
“That’s not to say there is no impact, but the business is adapting and continuing to adjust well to the changing situation.”
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