Lottery sales dip is partly offset by Lotto success

Buoyant sales for Camelot’s revamped flagship Lotto draw have partly offset a decline that saw total Lottery ticket sales fall by £246m last year. The new £2-a-ticket Lotto format was introduced in September 2013 with the hope that it would revive the fortunes of the ailing draw. Such has been the success of the new game that sales, which had fallen by £115m in the first half of the year, jumped by £245m to end the period up £130m on the previous year. The introduction of this new format game became controversial when Camelot announced that the percentage return to Good Causes would be reduced from 33% to around 31%, but early indicators suggest the popularity of the game will more than compensate for this blow. A Camelot spokesperson told AP: “This swing of nearly a quarter of a billion pounds shows just how successful Lotto has been since it was re-launched at the end of September last year, and this looks set to continue, with sales continuing to perform very strongly since April. This is particularly good news as, of all the games, the highest percentage return to Good Causes is generated from this draw.”

The overall fall in ticket sales is attributed primarily to a significant decline in sales for the Euromillions draw, which had been boosted by three ‘extended rolls’ and related £100m+ jackpot prizes in 2012/13. Camelot will be announcing its plans to reverse that decline later this year.