There’s been big news from Camelot this week just as a new lottery prepares to hold its first draw.
Camelot have just released their 2020/21 financial results and they were record breaking ones. There were record National Lottery sales of £8.37 billion between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021. That’s a big increase of £468.8 million. It’s the fourth year in a row that the sales figures have increased.
This is the first time that total National Lottery sales have gone through the £8 billion mark. It comes at a time when rival bidders are hoping to be granted the next license to run the National Lottery.
The increase in sales is good news for the good causes helped by the National Lottery. A record amount of £1.89 billion headed in that direction during the last fiscal year. The government aren’t complaining either as the lottery duty they receive was over £1 billion. That takes the good causes returns up to a record breaking £3.1 billion.
1% of sales are retained by Camelot at profit. Another 4% goes towards meeting operating costs with the remaining 95% distributed to winners and good causes. 389 new millionaires were created during the financial year.
One disappointing figure was the in-store sales figure. This dropped from £5.45 billion in the previous financial year to £4.86 billion in this one.
2.7 new million online registrations took place with digital sales at a record £3.51 billion. No wonder those selling lottery tickets in their shops are concerned about the future with or without Camelot in charge.
Meanwhile, the Rainbow Lottery will hold its first draw on Saturday 12 June. This is a new lottery that has the aim of supporting the LGBTQ community.
It’s the creation of Tom Gattos and David Murray. Gattos says the idea came to him during lockdown while playing the National Lottery. Why not hold one that saw proceeds going to the LGBTQ community was the great idea.
The Rainbow Lottery draw is being run by lottery operator Gatherwell. 92 good causes are now part of this new lottery. They include anti-bullying campaigns in schools, those giving help to people with HIV and a housing charity for elderly members of the LGBTQ community.
Tickets cost £1 and of that 50p will go to a charity/campaign of the buyer’s choice. It’s hoped that over £100,000 will be raised in the first six months of the Rainbow Lottery. At the time of writing this on the afternoon before the first draw, 1497 tickets had been sold, their target is 6450. Their earnings target is £201,240 and it was at £46,706.40.
To win the £25,000 jackpot you have to match six numbers. Matching three numbers gets you £25, it’s £250 for four and £2,000 if five numbers are matched. More info at https://www.rainbowlottery.co.uk/
